In order to ensure continuous construction once a project is started, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said present and future road projects will not be proposed unless the government has acquired 80 per cent of the land required for them.
Mr Gadkari, road transport and highways & shipping minister, was speaking at the panel discussion at the ‘Make In India’ Week venue in Mumbai on Wednesday. He said that one of the reasons behind delays in construction of important roads and highways has been disputed land. “There are around 1,000 cases pending in various courts where the land on which we are building an important road or highway is in dispute. This is why we are not going to propose any new works unless 80 per cent of the land has been procured and the companies who get awarded the tenders do not lose their money as the project is stuck in construction for years,” he said.
Speaking about the use of ethanol, Mr Gadkari said that 100 buses running on the fuel would be introduced in various cities of the state next year. He cited the example of one such bus that had been introduced in Nagpur city. “The bus running on ethanol has seen a success in Nagpur. We are also planning other avenues of bio-fuel from organic waste from slaughter houses and sewage waste which will give us bio-CNG,” he said.
Mr Gadkari also spoke to the representatives of companies who promised that they have proposals that would show reduction in construction costs.
