09 September,2017 08:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra Jore
His remarks came after a review meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who said he was working on reducing corrupt elements in the BMC that were responsible for the city's bad roads
Nitin Gadkari
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, who is constructing an unprecedented length of quality roads across the country has offered to help the BMC to improve the longevity of its roads.
Responding to mid-day, Gadkari said the city administration needed to adopt international codes, mixtures, and technology to construct roads, which otherwise develop potholes time and again. He was speaking after reviewing Maharashtra's road and irrigation projects at the residence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
"My ministry does not control any roads in Mumbai, but I can tell you that the city if it collaborates with the National Highways Authority of India, could do wonders in terms of constructing quality roads," he said.
Gadkari said his ministry was constructing roads that would last for decades. "The secret is to not to compromise on the quality of materials used, technology applied and overall supervision. I would be happy to share the knowledge with the BMC if it asked for it," he said.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis told a conclave on Mumbai's disaster management that the primary concern in the city was the quality of roads. He said the state was doing its best to reign in irritants in the BMC that proliferated corruption in road construction.
At the same function, NCP leader Jayant Patil appealed to the BMC to rope in experts with international knowledge of constructing roads.
CM calls RaGa's bluff
Responding to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's charge that the CM was fooling farmers by saying that the state needs Rs 38,000 crore for loan waivers when the actual amount was just R5,000 crore, Fadnavis said, "I'm ready to give R5,000 crore to Rahul Gandhi to implement the scheme the way he wants. In fact, Gandhi should know that the farmers are suffering because of wrong policies that the Congress governments implemented in the last 15 years."
