‘Govt to focus on water grid, highways-cum-airstrips’

TIL Desk Business/New Delhi/ Making e-autorickshaws a common sight in rural India, creating a water grid that is on par with power grid and constructing 17 highways-cum-airstrips are the government’s priorities and it will start work on them this year, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said.

After getting the additional charge of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation in last week’s Cabinet reshuffle, Gadkari told that another “mammoth task” that lay on his shoulders was to make Ganga ‘aviral and nirmal’ (continuous and clean flow). “Public transport on electric mode is the dire need now.

We are bringing a policy for it. Thrust will also be on rural transport on electric autorickshaws and other vehicles, powered by lithium ion battery. Its cost has already been reduced by 40 per cent and prices will further come down on mass production,” Gadkari said.

He said that last week DMRC facilitated the launch of a fleet of E-autorickshaws at Gurgaon to provide last-mile connectivity in the millennium city for metro commuters and likewise initiatives in all states where metros trains are coming up could be taken.

“India has become coal and power surplus. Electric mode is getting cheaper. Transport charges will come down. People will get sustainable transport. Whether West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, North East, Uttar Pradesh or Bihar – metro and electric transport will expand eliminating hand rickshaws, which is inhuman (practice),” he said.