Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said he would step up action against contractors and officials responsible for delays and poor-quality execution of infrastructure projects, saying he wanted to “set a record” for the maximum number of blacklisting and disciplinary actions within a year.
Gadkari said he would personally assess the progress of the Mumbai-Goa Highway during a road journey from Mumbai to Goa in October. The highway, which runs through Maharashtra’s coastal Konkan region, has faced repeated delays in its widening.
Gadkari to inspect Mumbai-Goa Highway in October
Speaking after inaugurating a six-lane elevated road corridor at Porvorim near Panaji, Gadkari said he had earlier decided against attending the inauguration of the widened Mumbai-Goa Highway because of the prolonged delays.
“I had announced (earlier) that I would not come for the inauguration of the (widened) Mumbai-Goa highway because I felt ashamed that it had been delayed so much,” he said.
Gadkari said a meeting on the highway project was held with officials on Tuesday. He added that he would travel by road from Mumbai to Goa in October to assess whether the upgraded highway had improved the journey for motorists.
“I would land at the Mumbai airport in October, and travel by road to Goa to personally inspect the highway and assess whether the journey has been made convenient for travellers,” he said.
He said action against contractors and officials responsible for delays or substandard work would remain a priority.
“Now I want to set a record of blacklisting the maximum number of contractors and taking action against them, as well as suspending officials, within a year. I am not going to stop doing this now,” he said.
Porvorim corridor raises road capacity to 10 lanes
Gadkari also highlighted the capacity created by the newly inaugurated Porvorim elevated corridor. According to him, the earlier two-lane road now has capacity equivalent to a 10-lane corridor, with four lanes at ground level and six lanes on the elevated section.
He urged the Goa government to develop roadside facilities along the Mumbai-Goa route that reflect the state’s local architecture, cuisine and handicrafts. Such amenities, he said, could give tourists a distinctive experience while also promoting Goan food, handloom and handicraft products.
Gadkari also called for conventional fuel stations to be supplemented with infrastructure for biofuels, electric vehicles and other alternative fuels.
“If you make a request to me, I am ready to provide them to you,” Gadkari said.
The minister further called for scientific landscaping along the highway instead of indiscriminate plantation by contractors.
“Proper study should be conducted to determine which flowering trees and species should be planted, and which species absorb more carbon dioxide and release oxygen,” the minister said.
He urged Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and local legislators to work towards developing the highway as a “green highway”, suggesting that it could be planned along the lines of an “oxygen park”. Gadkari cited an oxygen park developed in Nagpur as an example.
He also linked infrastructure development with broader economic growth, saying reliable water, power, transport and communication infrastructure can help attract investment, create jobs and reduce poverty.
Gadkari called for measures to tackle water, air and noise pollution in Goa and urged authorities to prevent waste from reaching the sea. He also suggested a comprehensive traffic study and changes such as moving warehouses outside cities, consolidating markets, improving bus depots and better synchronisation of traffic to reduce congestion.
The minister also advocated wider adoption of electric, hydrogen, flex-fuel and other alternative-fuel technologies as a way to reduce pollution.