Modi Budget 2.0: India will see magical growth in next 5 years, says Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday in News Nation's exclusive 'Modi Budget 2.0' Sammelan spoke about plans to work on infrastructure building, highway connectivity over the next five years. Gadkari emphasized on highway construction, doubling railway lines and electrification. The NDA government unveiled its full-time Budget for the financial year 2019-20 on July 5.

The allocation for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been increased to Rs 83,016 crore in the budget as against Rs 71,000 crore in 2018-19 which was revised to Rs 78,625.50 crore. 

Gadkari said that there will be ‘magical’ growth in India in next five years. The government will launch station modernization programme this year.

On promoting electric vehicles, Gadkari said the main objective of phase-II of FAME scheme approved by the Cabinet is to have cost effective vehicle system and curb pollution. “We need to develop a cost effective, pollution free and indigenous transport system,” he said. GST for electric vehicles has been reduced to 5 per cent whether they are three wheelers, four wheelers or two wheelers. This can help us making leader in electric vehicle manufacturing unit.

Gadkari, who is one of the major successes in the Modi 1.0 Cabinet between 2014 and 2019, has retained the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the second term of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government as well.

The Union Minister is credited to increase the pace of road construction in the country from 2 km/day to 16.5 km/day in his first year and to 21 km/day in the second year and end of 2018 30 km/day. He also reserved an amount of one per cent of the total projects awarded in his tenure worth Rs 2 trillion (US$29 billion) for trees and beautification.

Gadkari, who also served as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), retained his Nagpur seat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections defeating Congress' Nana Patole.