Under fire from netizens over bad road and highway conditions across the country, Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that soon the details of the people involved/linked to the construction of the roads/highways will be displayed publicly. Addressing the CII National Conference on “Future of Smart Roads – Safety, Sustainability and Resilience”, Gadkari said that why he should always take the blame for the fault of the contractor and added that those doing bad work should be exposed.
“The public will get details like those of the minister, secretary, contractor, executive engineer, and their phone numbers. Why should the media always put the blame on me and publish my photo? Publish the photo of the contractor, secretary, why should I always take the blame and respond on social media? This will make details available to the public, and those doing bad work will be exposed,” said Nitin Gadkari.
He outlined three key pillars for the future of infrastructure — People, Prosperity, and Planning.
“Infrastructure must be people-centric, ensuring comfort and convenience for citizens. To support this, 670 roadside amenities have been developed across the country,” said Gadkari.
Gadkari further stated that under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to make India a five-trillion-dollar economy by 2027, the development of world-class infrastructure will play a pivotal role.
He noted that the road and transport sector offers immense opportunities for economic growth, investment, and employment generation across the country.
The annual revenue of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, currently at Rs 55,000 crore, is projected to rise to Rs 1.4 lakh crore within two years, reflecting the immense growth potential of the sector, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday.
Gadkari said a comprehensive 2027 infrastructure plan was discussed in the Cabinet, which includes sustainable initiatives such as the use of 80 lakh tonnes of segregated plastic waste in road construction and the reuse of treated water from purification plants for road building.
“The work is underway to convert 25,000 kilometres of two-lane highways into four lanes, while a Rs 2 lakh crore port connectivity programme is linking all major ports with national highways,” said the minister, adding that improved road connectivity is boosting religious tourism and adventure sports in several parts of the country.
He said that every rupee invested in infrastructure generates three rupees of economic growth, reflecting its strong multiplier effect.
Highlighting the sector’s economic significance, Gadkari said that 80 per cent of goods traffic in India moves by road, while 1 per cent is by air and 18 per cent through other modes. With improved road infrastructure, logistics and fuel costs are expected to come down to single-digit levels.
