Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is known for his outspoken attitude. He never holds his horses back when it comes to exposing laxity within the government system. Addressing a gathering on the occasion of ‘Engineer’s Day’ in Pune, Gadkari exposed the prevalent corruption within the bureaucracy while saying that files move faster if there is weight on them. Gadkari was talking about bribes given by people to get files approved.
The Union Minister said that the speed of movement of files is directly proportional to the weight (money) on them. Gadkari was talking about issues related to the need for transparency and time-bound decision-making in the government system.
Addressing the gathering in which the majority of the government employees were in attendance, Gadkari said that bureaucrats work faster in cases where they get money. “There are some ‘Newton’s fathers’ in our system and files move faster only if you put more weight on it,” said Gadkari.
Using highway projects and road accidents as an example, Gadkari noted that the primary cause of these issues stems from flawed detailed project reports (DPRs), rather than any other factor. Additionally, he pointed out that some bureaucrats require directives for even basic tasks, such as filling potholes on roads.
The Union Minister announced that his ministry has planned a 14-lane highway connecting Mumbai and Bengaluru, starting from the Atal Setu Bridge and linking with Pune’s ring road. He explained that this will allow travelers from Mumbai to Bengaluru to bypass Pune, helping to reduce traffic in the city. Additionally, the route will provide direct access to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. “A tender has already been floated, and we aim to begin construction within the next six months,” he added.
