Here are the highlights of Nitin Gadkari's interview to NDTV:
- Some unfinished work from the Golden quadrilateral project (during Vajpayee era) included in Bharatmala project
- Ring roads of 22 cities will be part of Bharatmala programme
- After 5 years, there will be 1 crore direct and indirect jobs
- Roads being built at 23 km/day till March this year
- Road project contracts worth 16,000 cr awarded in 2015-16
- We will be able to save 50% of road accidents through this programme
- If you want good services, then you have to pay for it
- When I was made a minister, I had decided that we will brink 25 lakh crore investment in the sector, will get direct-indirect job and contribute in GDP growth
- NHAI can raise the funds
- Around 2 km of road was build during a day, we have managed to raise the number to 23 km a day in March
- I don't think that it will be tough to build 40 km of road a day
- There are no lack of funds in this country
- When I became transport minister, I had decided to bring in 25 lakh crore investment in this sector, bring in 1 crore jobs, and add 2- 3% to GDP growth
- Lots of government projects have hit roadblocks, but we see problems as opportunities
- But there are some who see opportunities as problems
- This is just the beginning, there will be problems in the initial months
On Rahul Gandhi
- Rahul has not lived up to the expectation
- Rahul Gandhi still has to rise to reach to the stature of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi
- Rahul has to change his advisers
On Modi government
- What Congress has not done in 50 years, Modi goverment has completed in 3 years
- Wrong to blame PM for everything
- innovation, technology
- For the first time, India is being talked as a power in the world
- Indian roads will be world class in future
