Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday emphasised growth of the automobile industry to generate jobs in the sector. He said the automobile industry’s turnover would be doubled from Rs. 7.50 lakh crore at present to 15 lakh crore in the near future with “sustained efforts” by the government.
Mr. Gadkari addressed a rally in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh district as part of the ruling BJP’s outreach campaign to mark the completion of nine years of its government at the Centre. He said the automobile industry yielded the maximum goods and services tax (GST) to the government and about 4.50 crore people were employed in the sector.
“Supported by the government, this industry will create 10 crore jobs. We are at third position globally in the automobile industry after China and the United States,” Mr. Gadkari said. The progress was the result of support provided by the Narendra Modi government’s policies and programmes over the last nine years, he added.
In another official programme, Mr. Gadkari virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 11 National Highway projects worth Rs. 5,625 crore. They included four NH projects with a total length of 219 km and costing Rs. 3,775 crore, while the construction of a high-level bridge on the Chambal river in Mandrayal is set to bring connectivity between Rajasthan’s Karauli district and Madhya Pradesh’s Sabalgarh.
Mr. Gadkari targeted Congress in his speech and accused the leaders of that party of having eliminated “their own poverty” using poverty alleviation programmes. “Congress ruled the country for nearly 60 years with the slogan of Gharibi Hatao (remove poverty), but we all know what its leaders actually did,” he said.
The Union Minister affirmed that good governance was the guiding principle for the Modi regime and said farmers were getting the highest priority, with plans to launch vehicles that run on ethanol produced by the farming community. He said India’s petroleum import would gradually reduce and the money would be diverted to farmers for their prosperity.
BJP State president C.P. Joshi, former Minister Srichand Kriplani and other party leaders also addressed the rally. The official function was presided over by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who attended through video conferencing from his residence in Jaipur, where he is recovering from injuries to both of his toes.
Mr. Gehlot urged the Union Minister to issue a gazette notification declaring 50 roads in the State as National Highways. He also sought connection of the road between Jodhpur and Balotra’s Pachpadra, where a 9-million-tonne refinery is coming up, with Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway to ease the movement of vehicles.
