UP farmers to fuel energy, aviation sectors: Gadkari

New Delhi: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the farmers of Uttar Pradesh, besides being food producers, would also fuel the electricity, bitumen, aviation and hydrogen-power sectors soon, asserting that the state could eventually become an energy exporter.

"Our farmers will not only be the 'annadata' (food provider) but also providers of energy, bitumen, aviation fuel and hydrogen power," Gadkari said while addressing a programme at Mungra Badshahpur.

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He was in the district to launch eight national highway projects worth Rs 3,650 crore, including the Mungra Badshahpur bypass.

Asserting that no one can level allegations of corruption against his department, the Union minister issued a stern warning to contractors, saying unless they ensure quality work, no future contracts will be awarded to them.

Gadkari said he had promised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during his first visit to Uttar Pradesh after becoming a minister that the state's roads would one day match those in the United States.

Quoting former US president John F Kennedy, he said, "American roads are not good because America is rich. America is rich because American roads are good."

"I had promised that one day the roads of Uttar Pradesh would be built at par with those in the US," he said.

The minister cited road projects worth Rs 5 lakh crore across Uttar Pradesh, saying works worth around Rs 1 lakh crore have been completed, projects worth approximately Rs 1.25 lakh crore are underway, and works worth at least Rs 3 lakh crore are in the pipeline.

He said Uttar Pradesh is undergoing a transformation. Work that could not be accomplished during 50 years of Congress rule, even in Amethi and Raebareli, has been completed in 10 years of the BJP government.

"This is only the trailer; the entire development is yet to be seen," he added.

Gadkari said the development taking place in Uttar Pradesh is changing the region's landscape, and credited the people for giving the government an opportunity to work.

"The credit for this does not go to me. The credit does not go to Yogi ji either. Nor does the credit go to Modi ji. In the true sense, the credit goes to the people, who elected us and gave us the opportunity to work," Gadkari said.

Describing Uttar Pradesh as the land of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, he said India's history, culture and heritage have reached people across the world.

Referring to an Art of Living programme by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in front of the White House in Washington, he said people there were seen chanting "Jai Shri Ram, Jai Jai Ram" and "Hare Ram Hare Krishna".

He said India's culture, nationalism, Hindutva and Indian identity are inclusive, and recalled Swami Vivekananda's historic address in Chicago, in which he had said he did not preach the superiority of his own religion but respected the faiths of others.

Gadkari said the country's goal is to become a USD 5 trillion -- the third-largest in the world -- stressing the need to expand industries, agriculture and employment.

The minister identified water, power, transport and communication as key to development. Citing ethanol production from maize, broken rice and sugarcane, he said an ethanol-powered Toyota Innova would be launched on November 26.

He also highlighted ethanol-run motorcycles, isobutanol as a diesel alternative, aviation fuel from agricultural produce and bitumen from rice straw.

Gadkari said electric vehicles, including buses, trucks and construction equipment, are also being promoted.

He said hydrogen could be produced from agricultural waste, including bagasse, soybean and rice residue, as well as municipal waste.

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"Hydrogen will be produced by Uttar Pradesh's farmers. This hydrogen will run our aircraft, cars and railway engines," he said, adding that he, too, uses a hydrogen-powered car in Delhi.

Gadkari said India spent around Rs 22 lakh crore annually on petroleum imports, adding that ethanol production has raised maize prices from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,600 per quintal, bringing a benefit worth Rs 45,000 crore to farmers of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

He also said Rs 2 lakh crore worth of greenfield road projects are underway in Uttar Pradesh and expressed confidence that the state would become an energy exporter.

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