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'I was trolled': Gadkari laments being blamed for Missing Link landslide
Gadkari said he had originally wanted to construct the Missing Link but the forest department had not granted permission for the project at the time.
Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday lamented that he was blamed on social media for the landslide on the Missing Link stretch of the Pune-Mumbai Expressway earlier this year, despite the project being constructed by the Maharashtra government.
Gadkari was speaking at the ‘Festival of Thinkers’ lecture series organised by Symbiosis International University.
“I constructed the Pune-Mumbai Expressway 27 years ago. Even today, the quality of the road is so good that there are no potholes. There is no appreciation from the media for the excellent condition of the expressway. But when there was a problem on the Missing Link stretch, I was trolled and blamed on social media. In reality, the Maharashtra government constructed the Missing Link,” Gadkari said.
He said social media also plays an important role in ensuring accountability and pushing authorities to maintain quality in infrastructure projects.
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Forest department denies construction permit
Gadkari said he had wanted to construct the Missing Link when the expressway was originally being built, but the forest department had not granted permission for the project at the time.
The Missing Link, built at a cost of more than ₹6,600 crore, was inaugurated on May 1 to reduce travel time between Pune and Mumbai. In early July, a landslide triggered by heavy and continuous rainfall blocked traffic on the stretch. Opposition leaders subsequently criticised the state government, raising questions over the quality of the construction.
Gadkari said projects should be planned with a long-term vision of 25 to 50 years rather than merely addressing present-day requirements.
“Instead of relying on temporary solutions to address present-day problems, infrastructure development must be based on long-term and forward-looking planning,” he said.
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Robust infrastructure, Gadkari said, would provide a significant boost to industry, trade, tourism and employment. Lower transportation costs would make Indian industries more competitive globally, while better road connectivity would improve farmers’ access to markets, integrate rural areas with the mainstream economy and create new opportunities for industry and employment.
Gadkari also highlighted the growth of India’s automobile sector, attributing its expansion to technological advancement, research, electric vehicles, alternative fuels and biofuels.
Gadkari said infrastructure projects worth approximately ₹60,000 crore are planned for Pune city in the coming period. Innovative financing models are being explored and adopted to implement these projects, he concluded.
