Micro, small and medium enterprises sector will play a vital role in creating employment and help promote economic growth Union minister Nitin Gadkari said while taking charge of the MSME ministry on Tuesday. He also took charge as the Union minister of road transport and highways.

Gadkari said the MSME ministry aims to focus on supporting micro units and village industries to promote rural economy and create jobs.

“This is a very important portfolio and is associated with the most important issue - the country’s growth rate and employment potential. Our main focus will revolve around enhancing the growth rate of the country. Rural and agricultural economy will be renewed with a focus on creating more jobs. Raw materials like stubble which are easily available in rural areas can be used by small units to manufacture different products,” Gadkari told reporters.

Gadkari also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi expects employment to increase from this sector, “which is very low now,” he said.

He also emphasised on the need reduce India’s import bill and promote manufacturing by MSMEs. “We have asked our secretary and economic advisor to work with the commerce ministry about goods which we are importing and see if they can be manufactured by small-scale industries here,” Gadkari said.

Assuming charge of the road transport and highways ministry, he said, “I have decided to plant 125 crore trees, as much as the country’s population, along highways in the next five years. I plan to work on creating roadside amenities along highways including eateries, rest rooms, hospitals, in a big way and 2,000 such amenities would be set up in the next five years. Work has already started on the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway and 12 other expressway projects will be completed in next three months.”

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in its first tenure built a total 39,386 km of national highways and awarded contracts for 56,566 km, according to the ministry of road transport and highways. The NDA government in its second tenure has set a target of building national highways at a rate of 40 kms per day, Gadkari said

First Published: Jun 05, 2019 07:36 IST