'Before 2024...' Nitin Gadkari makes BIG statement, says India's road will be equal to that of America

Nitin Gadkari, in a recent statement, stated that the amount of work done in building roads in 8 years wasn't done in the last 65 years. He further reiterated his claim of making the Indian road infrastructure similar to that of the United States. Gadkari mentioned that before 2024 ends, India's road infrastructure will be equal to that of America's road infrastructure. "We'll be successful in it," said Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

He said his target is to construct 60 kilometres of highways per day. Gadkari further said good road infrastructure creates prosperity and employment. "We are constructing 40 kilometers of highways per day, our target is to construct 60 kilometers of highways per day," he said at an event organised by Entrepreneurs' Organisation Gurugram Chapter.

The amount of work done in building roads in 8 years wasn't done in the last 65 years. I think that before 2024 ends India's road infrastructure will be equal to that of America's road infrastructure. We'll be successful in it: Union minister Nitin Gadkari pic.twitter.com/i6oCEW9qHO — ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2022

While the pace of National Highway (NH) construction in the country had touched a record 37 kilometres per day in 2020-21, it had slowed to 28.64 kilometres a day in 2021-22 due to pandemic-related disruptions and a longer-than-usual monsoon in some parts of the country.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) are primarily responsible for the construction of national highways and expressways across the country.

The official target of highway construction has been kept at 12,000 kilometres for the current financial year. The ministry had constructed 10,237 kilometres in 2019-20, 13,327 kilometres in 2020-21 and 10,457 kilometres in 2021-22.

Gadkari also said green hydrogen is the future and India should become an exporter of green hydrogen.

With PTI inputs