Quoting Ex-US President John F Kennedy, “It is not our wealth that built our roads, but it is our roads that built our wealth”, Union Minister for road transport & highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated as many as 26 highway projects & laid the foundation of 19 other projects measuring 1,361 kilometres (worth Rs 11,427 crore) in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday through a virtual programme.
Others who attended the programme include Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Thaverchand Gehlot, Prahlad Singh Patel & VK Singh, chief minister Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan & PWD minister Gopal Bhargava, besides officers of the ministry of road transport & highways & the Govt of Madhya Pradesh.
In his address, Gadkari spoke of how these road projects would change the lives of people not only in Madhya Pradesh but other states connected through these roads as well. This would result in better transport & significant reduction in travel time & fuel expenses, he added.
He said the highway projects were being built with a view to reduce traffic & accidents in the future.
Expressing concern over the death of 0.15 million people in 0.5 million road accidents every year across the country, Gadkari said 40 per cent of those killed in these accidents were aged 18 to 24 years.
Appreciating Tamil Nadu for its work on black spots in the state where significant number of road accidents take place, he asked chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to work on black spots in Madhya Pradesh.
Underlining the need for more drivers in the country, he said there should be one driving school in every district.
CM Chouhan urged the Union Minister to formally approve Chambal Progressway, the upgrading of 6 highways worth Rs 1,569 crore, & 65 other small projects worth Rs 182 crore.
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