Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari once again lashed out at the country’s bureaucratic setup for causing delays in the execution of the projects and said that he has given up on them as they are averse to change.
Speaking on the issue of reforms in the infrastructure sector at the ‘Infranirbhar Bharat’ webinar, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that the government intends to bring massive transformation in the administrative setup of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to facilitate better infrastructure facilities in the country.
As he spoke to the experts and stakeholders of the infrastructure sector in the country, Minister Gadkari emphasised the role of the private sector in bringing much-needed reforms in the sector and added that the existing bureaucratic set up in the country is averse to major reforms.
Taking a dig at the non-performing officers and those who are not ready to change, the Union Highways Minister said that he has given up on those officers and does not intend to waste much time on them anymore.
“Mein in logon se haar gaya hoon (I have given up to such people) and now I don’t waste much time,” the minister said at the webinar.
Private sector needs to be involved, says Minister Gadkari
Stressing on the need to involve the private sector in the infrastructure sector, Minister Nitin Gadkari said a committee of experts from the private sector and government sector would be appointed to recommend norms for designs, quality of work, and promotion of new technologies in highway and bridge construction.
“People who get salary on first of every month never understands the importance of time. Making delays is going to be a big problem,” said Nitin Gadkari as he indirectly hinted at the delays caused by bureaucrats and senior officers working in the government.
Union Minister Gadkari said that after years of experience in dealing with the bureaucracy, he noticed that it is difficult to change them in the present system. He also lashed out at the consultants preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) for failing to do due diligence. The minister added they are equally responsible for delay in the execution of projects and highways lacking adequate provisions for all road users’ safety.
“Now we have decided that any DPR prepared by a consultant will be placed before the panel for its approval only after the regional officer concerned has validated it by visiting the sites,” Gadkari said.
Nitin Gadkari – a vocal critic of existing bureaucratic setup
Union Minister Gadkari has time-and-again criticised the inordinate delays caused by the bureaucrats in the execution of the project. In a similar incident, Gadkar had once gone all guns blazing against the bureaucrats, exposing them for their “perverted ideology”, “unworthiness”, and “corruption”.
Addressing an NHAI meeting, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had expressed his unhappiness over delays in the completion of the building and had roasted the officials for delays in completing projects.
Taking a swipe at the NHAI officials, Gadkari said, “During a ceremony like this, the convention says that one should congratulate people involved in the completion of the project. But I don’t know how I should do that. The plan of the construction of the building was ready by 2008, and in 2011 it won the tender for the construction. It took 9 years for the completion of this Rs 200-250 crore project. It took two central governments and 8 chairmen to ensure that the work is completed.”
Gadkari was visibly unhappy that the NHAI was celebrating the organisation’s mediocrity as the project, which should have been completed in 2-3 years, took more than 9 years for its completion. It is to highlight this inefficiency that the Union Minister made sarcastic jibes at the organisation and those responsible for this predicament.
