India set to see 30km of new roads every day by 2017

India’s road network will see an extension of 30km a day within two years. That is what Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari said at the Bloomberg TV Autocar India Auto Awards on Friday, January 9, in Mumbai.

That is a huge jump over the rate of road construction in India when Gadkari took charge as the Union minister. According to him, the pace of construction was only 2km a day. Gadkari, who is also overseeing the re-vamping of the new Motor Vehicle Act which also stresses on enhancing road safety, says that errors in road design have also compromised safety on India roads. It is estimated that 500,000 accidents take place on India’s roads and there are 150,000 fatalities every year. The ministry, Gadkari, said, is taking corrective measures to rectify the flaws and also improve the road quality and design. The new highways will be only made of concrete. "It will result in lower maintenance cost and the ride quality will be better," added Gadkari.

According to Gadkari, his ministry has received tenders from 39 cement manufacturers with the lowest bid coming at Rs 120 (excluding taxes). The current market price is around Rs 350 a bag. The minister admitted that there were viability issues with the public private partnership model (PPP) model in infrastructure projects earlier. Now the government is also in talks with overseas entities to raise funds at low interest rates for infrastructure projects.

To reassure everyone about his assurance of fast tracking the construction of roads, Gadkari recounted his track record which includes completing work worth Rs  8,500 crore in two-and-a half years in Maharashtra. In his current role, he plans to build roads which will see an investment of Rs 500, 000 crore over the next five years. He also told the audience that he has delivered on all his promises so far, hinting that there should be no doubt regarding his assurance this time around.