Expectations From Modi Govt Have Increased After Delivery: Nitin Gadkari In Exclusive Interview To BW
Is the Narendra Modi government already in an election mode?
Every politician thinks about the next election. We are always in an election mood -- some people may express it, some may not. At the same time, developmental work is very important. In fact, I would never mix politics with development.
How will you beat anti-incumbency if all of the opposition comes together?
An alliance of the opposition parties is not on the basis of any ideology. It’s a politics of convenience. I feel the Indian people understand what’s in the interest of the country and what’s not. The people have seen through the Opposition’s design.
PM Modi promised acche din. Do you think that has been delivered?
One hundred percent! Take our flagship schemes. Ujjawala is about letting the poor experience the convenience of LPG stoves. More than 8 crore gas cylinders have been delivered. In Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, 32 crore bank accounts have been opened – the earlier figure was only 3 crore. The new entrants into the system are getting debit cards. The Bhagyashri Yojna takes power to the farthest corner of the country. The recently launched health insurance scheme is revolutionary and will benefit the poor for up to Rs 5 lakh.
All our schemes are geared to making the poor empowered. Our increased MSPs will immensely help farmers. There is one hundred percent satisfaction. However, as the people see a government working so hard, their expectations also increase manifold – this is also a reality.
The sector which has seen the most visible change in the entire government tenure is your ministry – the highways and road construction sector. How do you evaluate this change?
When I took the charge of the ministry, it was 2 km per day of road construction; now it’s 28 km per day (going by the March-end figures). By next March, it will be more than 40 km per day. There is a revolutionary change. When I took charge of the ministry, there were 403 projects involving the amount of 3,85,000 crore (pending). Out government has taken 22 cabinet decisions and we solved almost all problems, like that of land acquisition, environment issues, coordination with state governments etc. It’s a great achievement for us.
Will the Ganga be cleaned by 2019?
One hundred percent! We have already taken up more than 250 projects. Clean Ganga mission is going on full steam in Uttarakhand. In Kanpur, we have taken 7 projects, out of which 5 have been started; in Varanasi, we have 7 projects, 5 have started; in Patna, 8 projects out of 11 have started. Similarly, in Jharkhand, two projects have started. We have also selected 40 tributaries of the Ganga. We will ensure that not a single drop of sewage or polluted water gets into the Ganga. Next year 70 to 80% Ganga will be clean and we will be doing it completely soon thereafter.
What do you think is the future of the inter-linking of rivers?
We have 31 projects lined up, out of which we want to start 6 before the end of this year. I am trying my best for the approvals from the states.
Recently, a SpiceJet aircraft flew powered by biofuel. Biofuel is very close to your heart. What is the future of bio-fuel in India’s economy?
With the agriculture in crisis, the government has adopted the policy of diversification, with priority being given to ethanol/ biofuels. This is going to change the entire agriculture landscape. Factories for bioethanol will be opened. Bioethanol can be used in autorickshaws, and other vehicles. We have tried it in Nagpur.
It can be used in aviation. A flight from Amsterdam to Los Angeles is powered by biofuel. We have requested the petroleum ministry to formulate a policy. With a cheaper, non-polluting fuel, the aviation sector would be revolutionised. For the last fifteen years, biofuels have been my passion. This will empower the tribals and generate employment.
You, sometime ago, said that auto industry has to convert to e-vehicles by 2030. Then it was said that there is no such deadline. Please give us clarity on the issues on e-vehicles.
You don’t have to link it with the number of days. Your monthly and yearly fuel expenditure on petrol vehicles is many times over your expenditure on e-vehicles. So, naturally, people will turn towards e-vehicles.
Is there a deadline for the industry?
You don’t need it, but within two years you can see how the picture will change.
But there is no infrastructure in terms of charging station etc?
It is everywhere, it’s there in Nagpur, and elsewhere. We are making more charging stations. Even in Delhi, in the Niti Aayog building, there are charging stations.
We are one nation, one tax system, after GST do you think, we should have a system where one doesn’t have to pay tolls on highways?
No, if you want good services you can’t avoid it. Governments don’t have that much money always. Now we are making the Mumbai Delhi expressway. The Mumbai Delhi distance will be covered in 12 hrs. So it’s is going to save more fuel. So if you want services, you have to pay for it. It is ultimately a benefit.
How do you look at national affairs?
I think this government is development oriented. Our policy is more towards employment creation. We are concerned about issues like: how to encourage ‘make in India, made in India’. From defence to infrastructure, we are now allowing new technology in India and the same time we are insisting them to transfer their technology to Indians. Our country is now changing; that is the reason that everywhere innovation, technology, and research are encouraged by our government. We believe in turning waste into wealth. We believe in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. This is what I would call a socio-economic transformation. India is changing and we are laying the foundation for a New India -- which is the dream of our PM.
Do you still consider Demonetisation as a success, considering that 99.3% currency notes are back?
I think that it is definitely going to help the people by and large. If you were to pick just one indicator, then black money has to be stopped, if the economy has to grow. We have stopped the black economy.
You talked about employment. Are you happy with the employment figures?
We would like to concentrate more on agriculture and agro-processing industries. We have to address the migration from agriculture to urban India. We have to create more employment in agriculture – this is the reason we are planning more cold storages. We are spending more money on river connectivity. That is the reason why for the first time in the history of India, the government is concentrating more on the rural, tribal, and agriculture sector.
Will you agree that jobless growth is a concern?
Not at all! Our Ministry will create 2 cr jobs. When there is an investment of Rs 1000 Cr, there will be direct and indirect employment of 1lakh people. Today investments in the roads sectors will cross Rs 7 lakh crores. Shipping and ports will cross Rs 3 lakh crores of investment. So the way in which the government is moving is creating jobs.
But another factor is important. Our population is rising at a rapid pace. There is no synchronisation between the population and employment. Somewhere we have to control the population too.
How do you look at the arrest of five Left-leaning activists recently?
You should not politicize it. Unless there is a concrete evidence with the police, they won’t arrest anybody. We have to protect the national interest. We should take strict action against the ones who are encouraging anti-national activity.
There is a perception that the NDA’s Coalition management is poor.
Not at all! We are trying our level best to maintain good relations with everybody. We believe in the federal character of the Constitution. We want to make good relationships with the state governments and the regional parties. But there are some limitations. As far as development is concerned, our policy is to do justice to all the states, no matter which party they belong to.
In Maharashtra, do you think the Shiv Sena will fight the next election with you?
I’m expecting that because ideologically, we are on the same side. But then I don’t know the situation there because I’m in Delhi now. It’s the Chief Minister and the party president who will decide about that. I’ll respect their decision.
How much freedom does PM Modi gives to his ministers?
Modi ji gives freedom to everybody. This is a biased charge against him (that he doesn’t allow the Ministers their freedoms). But he is very serious about work, cost, time-bound and he is very strict about his time. In the sense, he is giving an opportunity to everybody.
In the cabinet meetings, you are known to speak much more than your cabinet colleagues?
What I feel in the interest of the country, in the interest of the people, in the interest of the government, I express. This is not against anybody. Though I am a politician, I am more a socio-economic person. Politics is a game of socio-economic transformation. Our politics is not politics, it is socio-economic work and work of transformation; it’s not only power politics.
