Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari discussed India’s recent infrastructure developments with TNIE, citing a 60% expansion of the national highway network to over 1.46 lakh km. He outlined ongoing projects worth Rs 12.20 lakh crore, major highway corridors, city ring roads, reforms in land acquisition and environmental clearances, measures to ensure road maintenance accountability, the rollout of GPS-based toll collection, and Bihar’s progress relative to other states.
Excerpts
Q) The country has seen a massive expansion of its national highway network in recent years. What is the current status of this growth?
India’s national highway network has surged from 91,287 km in 2014 to over 1.46 lakh km today, a 60% increase. Currently, 48,536 km of projects worth Rs 12.20 lakh crore are underway, with completed schemes totaling Rs 16 lakh crore and upcoming projects at Rs 15 lakh crore. Sixteen major highway corridors, including the Arunachal Frontier Highway (Rs 30,000 crore) and Shillong–Silchar Greenfield Highway (Rs 23,000 crore), have been sanctioned to boost regional connectivity. Ring roads in cities like Ayodhya, Kanpur, and Guwahati aim to ease congestion. In 11 years, 1.06 lakh km of highways have been constructed, with the ministry’s budget rising ninefold to Rs 2.87 lakh crore.
Q) Some projects still face delays in projects caused by land acquisition and environmental clearance issues?
Land acquisition falls under state governments, while environmental clearances involve multiple departments, making coordination key. Reducing delays is a test of effective leadership. We prioritise sustainable planning, ensuring timely land acquisition and fast-track approvals for forest, wildlife, and environmental clearances. At least 90% of land and clearance requirements must now be completed before project awards.Regular meetings with state officials and the PM Gati Shakti initiative have streamlined inter-ministerial coordination. Digital portals, Bhoomi Amount Digital Portal for land and Parivesh for environmental approvals simplify processes, accelerating project delivery and enhancing efficiency nationwide.
Q) India has seen record construction of highways in recent years but their maintenance still seems to be a challenge.
For each fault, we (the Central Government) are held responsible. About 80 percent of complaints on social media are not under our jurisdiction or do not pertain to national highways (NHs). Our roads are of good quality; however, there have been some problems. We are continuously improving the technology and will definitely address these issues.
Regarding accountability, we are serious about ensuring that officers and contractors are responsible if roads are not maintained properly. There should be no compromise with quality, and we are committed to fixing lapses wherever they occur to maintain high standards.
Q) How long will it take to implement the GPS based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system?
It has already started at some locations and will be introduced at 4 to 6 places from November 15. We will move further gradually, expanding the initiative step by step while monitoring progress and ensuring smooth implementation at each stage.
Q) With Bihar heading into elections, how does the state compare to others in development across key sectors like water, power, transport, and roads?
Bihar needs accelerated development compared to other states. Water, power, transport and roads are the basic requirements for progress. The developmental work undertaken by our government, in the last 10-11 years, has transformed the face of Bihar.
Business and industries are growing steadily in Bihar. The young people of Bihar see their future in development and employment. They do not bother about Jaat (Caste), Pant (Community), Dharma (Religion) and Bhasha (Language). They aspire to excel in education, seek better job opportunities, and want to actively contribute to the nation’s growth.
I think that the state has sufficient electricity supply. Irrigation has significantly improved. The road infrastructure has also got better. Earlier, the Ganga had just two bridges, now we have 13.
In the highway sector; projects worth Rs five lakh crores are going on. Projects having a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh crores either have been completed or on the verge of completion. Some will start soon. We are building big highways; Varanasi-Kolkata highway’s cost of Rs 40,000 crores and Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway is worth Rs 50,000 crores. All these highways will change the landscape of Bihar.
With a strong and vast network of highways and robust power sector, the industry will reach the state naturally and will ensure Bihar's comprehensive development.
Q) Staying on with politics, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi recently held a press conference in which he alleged ‘Vote Chori’ In Haryana elections. He along with other opposition parties has been questioning Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which started in Bihar. How do you see this issue?
Rahul Gandhi speaks for himself. Even his party people don't take him seriously. There is no need to respond to his baseless comments.