Stop working like a political party, Nitin Gadkari slams IRC

Speaking at an international seminar on Thursday, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said officials and contractors will be held responsible for poor quality of road works. The seminar, ‘Advances in Bridge Management’ was held in Bengaluru by the Indian Road Congress (IRC). In his speech at the event, the Union Minister criticized IRC remarking that the quality of Indian roads had to improve substantially. Gadkari added that he was “annoyed” by the time the authorities took in every decision-making stage. 

Read also: India needs to create more jobs & boost manufacturing: Raghuram Rajan (startuppedia.in)

The Union Minister blames IRC

Calling out at the 90-year-old highway engineering body, he remarked that the organization currently works like a political party that needs to be stopped. The Minister warned, "We will have a world record of suspending people and fining contractors because I want good quality roads."

He stressed the fact that officials and contractors will have to take accountability for the quality of roads.

The Minister further asked the engineers to visit the Worli Sea Link in Mumbai to take inspiration from its construction standards because even after 26 years, the expansion joints are flawless, unlike in several other projects.

He mentioned the issues with the expansion joints of the Dwarka Expressway, although it is a premium project, and came down hard on contractors and engineers for compromising on quality.

Read also: PM Modi holds meeting with Tata Sons & PSMC on Semiconductor project (startuppedia.in)

Gadkari’s suggestions & assurance

He revealed having read several posts on social media complaining about poor road conditions. “We need to accept white topping technique to tackle heavy rains,” suggested Gadkari.

The Minister also said that currently, the country produces only 40-50 lakh tonnes of Bitumen and imports 90 lakh tonnes annually. He advised the IRC to blend plastic and waste rubber powder into bitumen to lower costs.

He further added the need to create more capital to improve road infrastructure although the budget provided for the projects was on the level. Gadkari assured facilitating land and funding, provided IRC enacted being "independent, impartial, and fair." 

Read also: PM Modi launches 3 PARAM Rudra Supercomputers and HPC systems (startuppedia.in)