Asked if travel by road will become faster than taking flights and trains, Union minister Nitin Gadkari recounted a fascinating anecdote.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 6, 2023 13:48 IST
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said at the BT Budget Roundtable 2023 (India Today/Rajwant Rawat)
By Devika Bhattacharya: Getting from Delhi to Jaipur and other major cities will be much faster in the future, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said at the BT Budget Roundtable 2023.
After a 36 per cent hike in its budgetary allocation, it’s full steam ahead for the road ministry, which is constructing expressways under the Modi government’s ambitious PM Gati Shakti master plan.
From the inauguration of the Delhi-Jaipur expressway on February 12, to the construction of green express highway and the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, commuters have a lot to look forward to, Gadkari said.
“Delhi to Mumbai in 12 hours. The distance from Delhi to Jaipur will be covered in 2 hours. Delhi-Dehradun route will be 2 hours long. Delhi to Chandigarh in 2.5 hours, Delhi to Srinagar in 8 hours, Katra in 6 hours, Amritsar in 4 hours. Chennai will be 2 hours away from Bengaluru. While Bengaluru to Mysruru will be an hour’s journey. Nagpur to Pune in under 5 hours,” he detailed.
Asked if travel by road will become faster than taking flights and trains, Gadkari replied, “Before the opening of the Mumbai-Pune highway, there were eight flights operated by Jet Airways on this route. Now, there are none.”
By the end of this year, most flights on the Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Dehradun, and Delhi to Chandigarh routes will become obsolete, he quipped.
In Budget 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated Rs 2.7 lakh crore to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, of which the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been allocated around Rs 1.62 lakh crore.
Gadkari said investing in basic infrastructure – water, power, transport, and communication — was key to alleviating poverty and ensuring the country’s development.
“If basic infrastructure is developed, it will attract industries, which in turn will increase capital investment. More capital investment means for employment opportunities, which will help reduce poverty in the country,” said Gadkari.
When asked about the NHAI’s financial standing, the minister said that the highways authority’s debt is reducing with time and its foundation is very strong. He further added that the government expects NHAI toll collection to cross Rs 1.40 lakh crore.
