Admitting that the economic slowdown has impacted the growth of various sectors of the economy including the construction equipment sector, Union minister for road, transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday assured that the government will stand behind the industries and take all measures to address the situation.
Speaking after inaugurating the 10th edition of construction equipment exhibition, Excon 2019, he said there will be no dearth of road projects being awarded by his ministry.
“You make machines, we will create demand for them,” he told the construction equipment manufacturers.
The government has taken several measures to improve infrastructure in the country, he said adding that the highway construction has increased from 2 kilometre per day in 2014 to 30 km as on day and it will touch 40 km per day by end of March 2020.
The MoRTH will be awarding road contracts worth Rs 2 lakh crore during 2019-20 and Rs 3 lakh crore worth of contracts during 2020-21, he said.
He added that the government aims to award new road contracts worth Rs 16 lakh crore during the next five years.
The minister said as part of the proposed 22 green express highway corridors, one corridor between Pune-Bengaluru will be developed.
The 600 kilo-meters long road will be developed at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore.
The proposed road will connect Bengaluru with Delhi eventually when the ongoing road work between Mumbai and Delhi is completed.
This will result in the reduction of distance between Bengaluru and Delhi by 250 kilometers, Gadkari added at the event.