RAIPUR: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that road networks of Chhattisgarh will match that of America in quality in two years.
Addressing the 83rd annual convention of Indian Road Congress here, Mr Gadkari, who holds the portfolio of road transport and highways at the Centre, said that the Centre laid emphasis on quality while implementing various road projects in Chhattisgarh and other states.
While announcing road projects worth Rs 20,000 crore for Chhattisgarh, Mr Gadkari declared that the road networks of Chhattisgarh will match that of America in quality in two years.
The Union minister also encouraged eco-friendly innovations like bamboo crash barriers and biofuel, supporting sustainable development of rural farmers.
He highlighted self-reliant technology of making a bamboo crash barrier in Chhattisgarh and said that this eco-friendly innovation has the capacity to replace steel.
Mr Gadkari called for the use of bamboo crash barriers instead of iron in construction works in Chhattisgarh to encourage the farmers to go for bamboo cultivation.
“We have made bio vitamins from straw and it is being used in Meghalaya. Recently in Panipat, we have started making 1,000 liters of bio vitamin and bio aviation fuel from straw. In Chhattisgarh also, similar works should be done”, he said.
Mr Gadkari stressed the importance of cost-effective and high-quality works to help India become a self-reliant, five trillion-economy.
He also emphasized the need for concerted efforts to reduce road accidents by improving road engineering and prioritizing road safety during construction of the roads.
Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that the development vision of Chhattisgarh is aligned with India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 and doubling its GSDP by 2028.