Highway projects to soon have details of contractors, officers: Gadkari

New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said commuters on national highways will soon be able to access necessary details of contractors and officers concerned including their name, address and mobile numbers.

The move aims to fix responsibility of not only those managing highway projects in the country but also officers concerned, the minister for road, transport and highways said, while addressing a conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the national capital.

PSU Watch is now on Whatsapp Channels. Click here to join

The statement from Gadkari follows NHAI's October 3 announcement saying it will install project information signboards with quick response (QR) codes along the National Highway stretches to provide relevant information and emergency helpline numbers to commuters.

He also spoke about a comprehensive plan for 2027 to utilise legacy waste. The plan includes sustainable initiatives such as the use of 80 lakh tonnes of segregated plastic waste in road construction and reuse of treated water from purification plants for road building.

Gadkari said there will be a system by scanning which one can easily get all information related to the project so in case of any inconvenience one would know "who are responsible for this".

The minister also said the government is doing performance audits of road projects and will not hesitate in taking action against those responsible.

Gadkari said his government is working on three P approach to make world standard infrastructure available to people of the country.

"Infra should be comfortable for people. We built 670 road and amenities. It is to provide facilities to commuters. There is a defect liability of 10 years when a contractor signs a project. In case of any issue, the officer concerned must also ensure that the project is in good condition," he said.

Second, P is Prosperity, when a road is developed prosperity comes, he said, citing the example of the Dwarka Expressway. After this project, Rs 5-7 lakh crore worth of real estate development has come, which had a multiplier effect, he said.

"Third important thing is economy ecology and environment. It is our responsibility to reduce pollution. It is very important for happy life index," Gadkari said, pointing out the rising pollution levels in the national capital.

Gadkari said after landing in Delhi, he thinks of how soon can he leave the city due to pollution levels.

He stressed the need to curb pollution and promote sustainable, eco-friendly and resilient development, noting that 8,500 trees have been transplanted along the Dwarka Expressway as part of the government's green initiative.

The minister further said the ministry's annual revenue, 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.

He added a comprehensive plan for 2027 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 reuse of treated water from purification plants for road building.

(PSU Watch– India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy is now on Google News. Click here to follow. Also, join PSU Watch Channel in your Telegram. You may also follow us on Twitter here and stay updated.)