Nitin Gadkari Archives - Lokmarg

Expect We Can Reach Uttarkashi Victims In Two-Odd Days: Gadkari

By LokMarg 19th November 2023

Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who visited the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse site on Sunday morning, said he expects the rescuers will be able to reach the victims who are trapped inside it in another two to two-and-a-half days.

“If the auger machine works properly, we will be able to reach them (victims) in the next 2 to 2.5 days,” Gadkari told the reporters from the tunnel site. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also accompanied the Union minister.

Minister Gadkari apprised that those private tunnel experts working for various organisations in the region have also been roped in for the rescue efforts.

Food, medicine, and oxygen were being provided to those trapped inside through pipes. Work is on for another alternate supply line in case of any exigencies that may arise in the first line.

“There is light and ample space inside the tunnel and the victims are able to move around; the communication line is on,” Gadkari told reporters, adding their morale was high.

Stating that the geology and terrain in the Himalayas are very difficult, the efforts to rescue the workers are on a war footing. Notably, the rescue efforts have now entered eighth day.

Further, the Union Minister urged people not to draw any early conclusions about the incident.

“Early diagnosis of anything is not advisable. We are going into the details and investigating it. Please cooperate with us to keep the morale of the victims high.”

“It will take some time to find out what the technical reasons are, and we are honestly working on that,” Gadkari added.

The under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed in the early hours of November 12. (ANI)

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Will Win At Least Three Out Of Five States: Gadkari

By LokMarg 14th November 2023

Amid ongoing elections in five state assemblies, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of winning at least three out of five states.

“We are confident of winning at least three out of five states,” Gadkari said speaking to ANI on Tuesday.

The senior BJP leader added that in Mizoram, their “numbers” will increase and will also score well in the Telangana elections.

“Our numbers will increase to a good extent in Mizoram, and we will get a good victory in Telangana as well,” Gadkari said.

While elections in Mizoram took place on November 7, the first phase of elections in Chhattisgarh was conducted on the same date.

Madhya Pradesh will vote on November 17. The second phase of polling in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 17 as well. Rajasthan will vote on November 25 and Telangana will vote on November 30.

The BJP is in power in Madhya Pradesh and seeks a second term. The party wants to overthrow the Congress governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The BJP won one seat in Telangana and Mizoram.

Gadkari was confident that the BJP will win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections since people believe that the BJP is the only party that has the capability to change the fate and future of the country.

“I believe that we will win the coming Lok Sabha elections also. We have brought development in the last ten years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Good work has been done. People have now come to believe that if any party has the capability to change the fate and future of the country, it is the BJP. Hence we will get support and we will win,” the Union Minister said.

Speaking about the elections in Madhya Pradesh which will vote on Friday, Gadkari said that the BJP has done good work under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Our party has done good work in the last 20 years under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan and under the leadership of Modi. The double engine of the combined government is doing good development work. That is why our victory in Madhya Pradesh is certain,” he said.

Choosing not to comment on Rahul Gandhi’s statement that there would be a ‘toofan’ (storm) of the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh, Gadkari said, “He (Rahul Gandhi) has the right to speak whatever he wants to. I will not comment on what he said. I believe that we will win the elections by gaining the trust of the people and the positive work we have done.”

Speaking on the caste census, Gadkari said that it is Rahul Gandhi’s last option since he is losing.

“What does a losing man not do? I believe that no matter how negatively he (Rahul Gandhi) talks, people will vote for us positively and we will win the elections. This is my belief.”

Mocking the INDIA bloc, the Union Minister said that alliances are formed when the opposition party becomes weak.

“I believe that when the opposition party becomes weak, an alliance is formed. It is the result of our increasing strength,” he said.

The opposition parties have huddled together to form an alliance with the Congress party at the centre, to take on the BJP ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. (ANI)

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Nitin Takes Test Ride Of Sky Bus In Sharjah

By LokMarg 4th October 2023

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has visited the pilot certification and experience centre of uSky Technology in Sharjah, UAE and took a test ride of its Sky Bus.

Gadkari has made a stopover in Sharjah while returning back to India from his Prague tour. In Shahjah, he also experienced the safety and evacuation demo showcased by the uSky Technology.

“uSky Technology has developed Sky Bus solutions, and iSky Mobility has tied up with uSky to bring these mobility services to India,” Union Minister for Transport and Highways Gadkari wrote on his X timeline.

“Sky Bus offers a sustainable, congestion-free urban mobility solution, reducing pollution and traffic congestion while providing efficient mobility for urban residents. Moreover, its elevated rail cable system minimizes land use, making it a valuable addition to the nation’s mobility infrastructure,” he added.

According to uSky, its vehicles move above the ground on a unique-design elevated overpass ensure a number of advantages: optimized aerodynamics, increased speed, unprecedented safety, rational use of land and resources, minimized environmental harm caused by transport. In addition, the cost of construction and operation is significantly lower compared to existing transport solutions.

Gadkari was also on an official tour to the Czech Republic on October 2, where he participated in the ministerial session on Road Safety at the 27th World Road Congress in Prague. On the sidelines, he interacted with various international organizations, academia, industry, and domain experts and stakeholders.

Gadkari, who himself is a big enthusiast of sustainability mobility solutions, on Monday took a test drive in a hydrogen bus by Skoda during his stay in Prague. In a post on X, the Office of Nitin Gadkari wrote, “Hydrogen buses hold significant promise in reducing carbon emissions and addressing environmental concerns, contributing to a cleaner and greener future.”

In January this year, Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission, aiming to make India a global hub for such technologies’ production, utilization, and export. The green hydrogen mission will gradually lead to the decarbonization of industrial, transport, and energy sectors, and a reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels, among others.

On Tuesday, he took a test ride in a 24-metre long world’s longest overhead power electric trolley bus, developed by Skoda in Prague. The bus is currently under experimentation.

“After successful operation, it could become a very cost-effective alternative to highly capital-intensive metro systems, especially on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stretches where dedicated lines for this bus, similar to metro rail, would enhance public transportation infrastructure,” Gadkari posted on X. (ANI)

I’d Jump Into A Well Rather Than Join Cong: Gadkari

By LokMarg 28th June 2023

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday recalled telling a Congress leader that he would jump into a well rather than join their party.

In an interview with ANI Editor Smita Prakash, Gadkari said that when Congress leader Shrikant Jichkar told him that he was the “right man in the wrong party” and proposed that he join their party, the Union Minister said he would rather jump into a well. Gadkari said that the situation may change, and his party may win or lose elections, but he would stick to his convictions.
“He said it, but I modestly answered him that my party, my conviction, and its future may be good or bad, but I will always stick to my conviction. There is no question of leaving my party at any time. May it lose or win many elections, the situation may change, but I would rather jump into a well than join the Congress,” Gadkari said on the ANI podcast.

Gadkari said, “I have good relations with all parties. Once I received a call from Speaker Om Birla that everyone in Parliament was praising me and speaking highly of my work even though I was not even present. I was in Nagpur then and was called to Delhi. When I went, there were 75 people from all parties present. Every one of them thanked me and congratulated me. Then the Speaker of Parliament said that it was the first time in the history of Parliament that a minister was praised equally by all party members. To this I replied that my ideology was clear, I was a Swayam Sevak of the RSS and a Karyakarta of the BJP, and after all this everyone praised me unanimously, which made me happy.”

Gadkari asserted that he has always done work beyond politics and BJP has taught him to do justice to all.

“I make sure that everyone’s work gets done when it’s important. I have always done that even beyond politics. That is what the BJP has taught us: to do justice to all, and that is what makes us strong. Politics and development should not be mixed up. I am a Karyakarta of the BJP, but the government belongs to the people of the country. That is why Prime Minister Modi said, Sabka Saath Sabka Viswas Sabka Prayas,” Gadkari said.

He said road development has been undertaken in all states beyond politics. Gadkari said that Chief Ministers from South or other states where BJP doesn’t have the state government also come to meet him to discuss developmental projects and he has undertaken most of them.

“The works are being undertaken in all states beyond politics. Mamata ji from Bengal recently came to meet me, and we discussed some projects. Chief Ministers and other officials from southern states also come to meet me and I hold meetings with all of them, and discuss projects to be undertaken there. It doesn’t make us look bad. It makes our government look strong,” the Union Minister said.

He said, “Roads go through all states. One state may be governed by Congress another by BJP. That doesn’t mean I should shut down the road development works. Roads are for the people of India. And I’m not just a BJP minister but a minister of the Government of India. And being in service for the country’s people is my primary duty and responsibility. I will work for those who voted us to power. I will also work for those who didn’t give us the mandate and I will also do work for those who criticize us. Everyone’s work should be done. This is Bharatiya Janata Party’s culture and we work based on that.”

The BJP veteran said that in his 9 years in office, he had done what is good for the people without thought of politics.

“I can assure you that in my 9 years in office, I have not mixed political thoughts with governance. The roads of our country are our assets and the people who travel on these roads are our family. They deserve good roads and proper development. That is our duty, and that is what our politics is intended for,” he said.

Gadkari also slammed the opposition for attacking Veer Savarkar and the syllabus revamp. He said that Savarkar was a revolutionary and we cannot forget the sacrifices and work he has done for the nation. “It is not right to deny all that he has done. The party which brought Emergency and kept many revolutionaries locked up in jail does not deserve to comment,” he said.

Gadkari also claimed that the BJP will be sweeping the upcoming legislative elections in states as well as the general elections in 2024.

Gadkari is called the Highwayman of India due to the transformational change he has brought in the country’s infrastructure and connectivity in the last nine years as minister of road transport and highways.

Gadkari comes from the city of Nagpur where he started his political career as a Karyakarta of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Gadkari is also credited for being the man behind the first ever expressway (Mumbai-Pune) by bringing new technologies into the country and helping private companies to ensure quality work in creating modern infrastructure.

Gadkari is also a strong advocate of sustainable development and his eco-friendly initiatives in road construction have led to the use of garbage in road construction as a raw material.

Before taking charge as union minister, Gadkari donned several hats in the organisation as well as governance and has served as BJP national president from 2009 to 2013 and PWD Minister from 1995-1999 in Maharashtra. (ANI)

‘The Kerala Story’ Team Meets Gadkari

By LokMarg 25th May 2023

Film producer Vipul Shah, actor Adah Sharma and ‘The Kerala Story’ team meet Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday in Mumbai.

Taking to Twitter handle, Nitin Gadkari dropped pictures with film producers Vipul Shah, Aashin Shah and actors Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, and Sonia Balani.
In one of the pictures, ‘The Kerala Story’ team can be seen having a discussion with Nitin Gadkari.

And also posed for a group photo.

‘The Kerala Story’ has been facing criticism by political parties due to its storyline.

‘The Kerala Story’ stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani in the lead roles. The controversy surrounding the film started when its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS. This statement triggered a heated political debate and many leaders questioned the veracity of the claim.

Earlier, the Supreme Court stayed the ban imposed by the West Bengal government on the film ‘The Kerala Story’ on May 18.

“Prohibition by West Bengal is not tenable. The order of the additional secretary of West Bengal shall remain stayed,” Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.

The apex court also directed the makers of The Kerala Story to give a proper disclaimer regarding the unsubstantiated figure ‘32,000’ mentioned in the film.

Senior Adv Harish Salve, appearing for film producers, says that disclaimer -“there is no authentic data to back up the suggestion that the figure of conversions is 32,000 or any other established figure” and “the film represents the fictionalised version” of the issue- shall be added. (ANI)

Changing Face Of MP Will Fulfil Dream Of Self-Reliant India: Gadkari

By LokMarg 10th December 2022

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said the changing picture of Madhya Pradesh will fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a self-reliant India.

He said the people were experiencing all-around development under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Gadkari was speaking at a programme at Barsaita in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district on Saturday. The Union minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones for seven road projects, to be laid over 204.81 km at a combined cost of Rs 2443.89 crore.

The Union minister also inaugurated the four-lane Churhat bypass, a six-lane tunnel, a four-lane road from Satna to Bela (with paved shoulder), a concrete-cement road in Rewa city under CRIF, a two-lane road to Gajan, Magarwar, Itour, Khamhariya Goraiya and Sajjanpur.

He also inaugurated the two-lane road on the Chhibora-Gajan section and laid the foundation stone for the construction of the New Sapta Marg connecting Beohari to Adarsh Village and Devtalab-Naigarhi road under CRIF.

Gadkari also visited the Rewa-Sidhi six-lane tunnel and appreciated the work done on the project. He said, “The Rewa-Sidhi Tunnel is India’s first ‘Aqua Duct’. The Bansagar canal and road have been built over it. This will go down as an important tunnel in the country and will give a new dimension to the development of the region. This tunnel connects the second tunnel after 300 metres, has 46 exhaust fans, an optical fibre lane, as well as an LXBC and fire fighting systems.”

Gadkari thanked and congratulated the engineers concerned for the work, adding that five greenfield expressways/highways of high quality are also being constructed in Madhya Pradesh.

The Union minister said, “A logistics park and an industrial area should be developed near these highways. A 245 km portion of the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway will be built in Madhya Pradesh. Atal Progress-Way, Indore-Hyderabad 6-lane, Ujjain-Garoth 4-lane and Agra-Gwalior Green Field Highway are also under construction.”

He also announced the completion of all missing links of the Narmada Parikrama Path at the request of CM Chouhan, saying that all road transport-related proposals of the state would be cleared without delay.

“Madhya Pradesh has all that it takes for setting up industries. There are ready water supply sources, energy, transport and communication. The state’s agricultural production has increased due to improved irrigation facilities. Today, Madhya Pradesh is leading the country in agriculture. CM Chouhan deserves congratulations for this,” Gadkar added.

The CM said, “PM Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari are developing the country at a fast pace. Today is a historic day for the land of Vindhya. A wonderful tunnel has been made in the area. Gadkari-ji has laid a network of roads across the entire state. There has been no shortage of funds in this development pursuit. The roads of Madhya Pradesh have become so good that today our minister Gopal Bhargava reached Rewa from Sagar in three-and-a-half hours.” (ANI)

BJP Will Not Do Politics In Name Of Development In Bengal: Gadkari

By LokMarg 17th November 2022

Union Minister of Road and Transport Nitin Jairam Gadkari on Thursday said that BJP will not do any politics in the name of development in West Bengal.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the Centre is not giving the funds to her state recently.
Speaking with the media, he said, “West Bengal is also a part of the nation. We never think about any party’s name while making any development plans. It does not matter which party the MPs or MLAs belong to. Today, we have announced Rs. 1,600 crores for Bengal for several projects and are trying to achieve Prime Minister’s target “sabka sath, sabka bikash or sabka vikash”. Our Prime Minister, my department, and the government are always ready for development. Money does not matter,” he said.

Gadkari further said, “We are getting help from concerned bodies and always keep in with them. We need to work together for the people of our nation. We will sit to review the ongoing projects in Bengal and request Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Chief Secretary to share plans with the National Highway (NH) authorities and in case of a problem, the Centre and State will sit together to resolve the issue.

Nitin Gadkari came to Siliguri to lay the foundation stone for an elevated 12.1 km stretch road connecting Balason in Shivmandir to Sevoke Army cantonment in Siliguri. Around 1,000 crores have been allotted for the project, which would be completed within 300 days. Addressing the people, he declared an 80 km long “Ringroad” for Siliguri and allocated Rs 3,000 crore. (ANI)

Hemkund Sahib Ropeway Should Be Completed On War Footing: RS MP To Gadkari

By LokMarg 19th October 2022

Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney urged Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for the swift completion of the long-pending project of the ropeway connecting Gobind Ghat to Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib in Uttrakhand.

Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib is a holy place for Sikhs and around 5000 visitors visit it every day. For this, they have to travel by road up to Gobind Ghat and after that on foot or by horse making a night halt at Gobind Dham while tackling inclement weather, landslides, and steep climbs.
“This ropeway project was announced and initiated by NHAI and Uttrakhand government a few years back but the project has not seen the light of the day yet. The estimated project cost was Rs 850 crores, the government had invited bids for Public Private Partnership (PPP) but the government was not able to attract any private player for the project erstwhile,” Singh said.

Sahney said that the National Highway Authority of India should take over the project and start work on it which will benefit lakhs of pilgrims.

“Some of the pilgrims are elderly and the commencement of this project will also boost economic activities and tourism in the region,” he said.

The demand for the ropeway comes after the unfortunate helicopter crash in Kedarnath in which six pilgrims and a pilot lost their life.

Speaking about the incident Singh said, “Unfortunate incidents can be stopped if the long-awaited ropeways of Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib and Kedarnath Dham are in place.”

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Hemkund Ropeway on October 21.

According to PMO, the ropeway will be around 12.4 km long and will reduce travel time from more than a day to only about 45 minutes. It will also connect Ghangaria, which is the gateway to Valley of Flowers National Park.

Ropeways are an environmentally friendly mode of transport that provides a safe, secure, and stable mode of transport. This major infrastructure development will give a boost to religious tourism, which will give a fillip to the economic development in the region and lead to the creation of multiple employment opportunities as well. (ANI)

Seatbelts Will Be Compulsory For All Passengers: Gadkari

By LokMarg 6th September 2022

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday highlighted the importance of seatbelts in a car and said that it would be mandatory for all the passengers in a car to wear them.

Sharing a video from an event, the Union Minister said that seatbelts will be mandated.
“It will now be mandatory for all the people sitting in the car to wear a seat belt,” tweeted Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

In the video, he also highlighted that the safety beeps will now be present for rare seats along with the front seats which will buzz if one doesn’t put on a seat belt.

His remarks came after well-known industrialist and former Tata Sons chairman Mistry died in a road accident near Mumbai on Sunday evening. Reports of him not wearing the rare seat belt soon made rounds after the accident.

According to Palghar Police, Mistry was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai when his car hit the divider. There were four people in the car. Two died on the spot, including Mistry, while the other two were shifted to hospital.

Earlier in the day, Police asked the car manufacturer company why the airbags in the ill-fated SUV did not open at the time of the accident.

Palghar Police asked several questions from the car manufacturer company, “Why do not the airbags open? Was there any mechanical fault in the vehicle? What was the brake fluid of the car? What was the tire pressure?”

Police said that these vehicles come out of the plant only after proper testing. “In such a situation, what is the report of the collision impact on the manufacturer’s investigation? Was the steering locked after the collision?” Police asked the car manufacturer.

The car manufacturer team will submit the answers to all these questions in its report.

According to sources, the car manufacturer company has informed the Palghar police that the data recorder chip of the vehicle will be sent to Germany for decoding and after decoding from Germany, detailed information about the SUV will be made available to the police.

It may take several days in this process. In this data recorder, detailed information about the vehicle will be available. Information will be there like how the brake, airbag and other machinery were working. The speed of the car at the time of the accident will also be known.

The estimates about the speed of the vehicle are made on the basis of different video footage or time calculations. The average speed of the vehicle will be known but it is impossible to estimate the speed of the vehicle at different places at different times. Therefore, whatever the speed of the vehicle must have been at the time of the accident, the exact information will be revealed only after getting detailed information from the data recorder, police sources told ANI.

Sources said Cyrus Mistry and others had left Udvada at 1:25 pm on Sunday and the accident happened around 2:28 pm. So they covered a distance of about 60 to 65 kilometres in 1 hour and 2 minutes.

Police are verifying whether they had stopped somewhere during this journey or they were moving at a very high speed in the middle.

Apart from Mistry, another deceased has been identified as Jahangir Dinsha Pandole. The injured Anayata Pandole and Darius Pandole are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The driver of the car in which Cyrus Mistry was travelling lost control due to overspeeding and rammed into the divider, said Palghar Police sources on Sunday.

“Prima facie, it looks like the car driver lost control. Cyrus Mistry’s mortal remains are at a government hospital in Kasa. An Accidental Death Report (ADR) is being filed by the police, as per procedure,” Palghar Police sources told ANI. (ANI)