Gadkari calls for better roads, warning erring NHAI contractors and officers

The minister was at the Duhai interchange of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) for a tree plantation drive where he expressed unhappiness over the maintenance work

Ghaziabad: In a stern message to contractors and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that enough road-related works have been taken up and it is time to make people retire, and blacklist contractors if they fail to maintain road quality.

Stating that 40% of air pollution in the country was related to MoRTH and use of fossil fuel, he said their department holds more responsibility to curb air pollution. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The minister for road transport & highways (MoRTH) was at the Duhai interchange of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) for a tree plantation drive where he expressed unhappiness over the maintenance work.

“I have come to EPE after a long time… Lot of works have been done related to roads. Now, I desire that many people should retire at my hands and contractors should be blacklisted and their bank guarantees forfeited. I saw today, the maintenance is not proper and we will not leave you,” Gadkari said in his address at the event.

Stating that a reward will be initiated for highway operators and concerned regional officers and project directors for doing a proper work, the minister said: “Those who do not work properly, we will see to it that they are removed from the system.”

In this context, the Centre earlier launched the Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy, 2015, to promote greening of highway corridors with participation of the community, farmers, private sector, NGOs, and government institutions.

Stating that 40% of air pollution in the country was related to MoRTH and use of fossil fuel, he said their department holds more responsibility to curb air pollution.

“Our department has taken up works of about ₹65,000 crore in Delhi-NCR (national capital region), and about ₹30,000 crore works of these have been completed. I expect that by December, these works will help in reducing Delhi’s pollution. We have also used garbage from Delhi’s Ghazipur site for use in Delhi-Mumbai highway and also in Chandigarh. I also made efforts to make use of this garbage in construction of Delhi-Meerut Expressway, but I could not succeed. Had I been successful, the Ghazipur site would have vanished by now,” Gadkari added.