News Analysis India

Tag: Nitin Gadkari

  • Maharashtra COVID-19 crisis: Gadkari dials Sun Pharma chief amid Remdesivir shortage in Nagpur 

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: Union minister Nitin Gadkari has called up Sun Pharma’s chief to arrange for 10,000 injections of Remdesivir in Nagpur in view of a shortage of the medicine here in Maharashtra.

    Remdesivir is considered a key anti-viral drug in the fight against COVID-19, especially in adult patients with severe complications.

    A press release from Gadkari’s office on Saturday said the Lok Sabha member from Nagpur spoke to Sun Pharma’s Managing Director Dilip Shanghvi over phone to inform him about the situation here and appealed to him to make available the Remdesivir injections.

    The pharma company chief assured Gadkari of making available 5,000 injections immediately on Saturday and the remaining 5,000 in next two-three days, the release said.

    Gadkari also appealed to the people of Nagpur to follow all COVID-19 prevention protocols.

    With Maharashtra witnessing a spurt in COVID-19 cases, Remdesivir injections are in high demand in the state.

    Maharashtra Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat on Saturday said there is shortage of Remdesivir injections and the supply of vaccine doses was inadequate.

    On Thursday, the state government capped the price of Remdesivir between Rs 1,100 and Rs 1,400 per vial and warned against its hoarding and black marketing.

  • Gadkari takes on Congress for its guarantee to nullify CAA in Assam if voted to power

    By PTI
    DHARAMPUR/GOLAKGANJ/GUWAHATI: Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari Friday lashed out at the Congress for its “guarantee” to the people of Assam of bringing in a legislation in the state assembly to nullify the Citizenship (Amendment) Act if voted to power in the state.

    The union road transport minister said Congress is engaged in opportunistic vote bank politics and has compromised the country’s security by its minority appeasement.

    Without taking any name, he said some people and some party have supported infiltration in Assam and tried to give the infiltrators voting rights, which is not beneficial for the country.

    BJP’s political agenda on the other hand is development, unity and security of the country and the party is fully committed to it, he said addressing poll rallies at Dharmapur and Golakganj and at a press conference here.

    “The CAA is a central law. No one can change it in an Assembly. Rahul Gandhi does not know that or what?” he said.

    Gadkari’s comment follows the one by BJP national president J P Nadda, who while releasing the party’s Assam poll manifesto earlier this week had said CAA had been passed by Parliament and would be implemented in the country.

    It had trigerred state-wide protests by political parties and the All Assam Students Union, which had been in the forefront of the 2019 agitation against CAA.

    Congress in its “Five guarantees” to Assam promised that would nullify CAA in Assam by bringing in a legislation in the state assembly, besides providing five lakh government jobs to youths in five years, 200 units of free electricity for every household, increasing the daily wages of the tea garden workers to Rs 365 and Rs 2000 per month to homemakers if voted to power.

    Gadkari said, “This is a very important election. It is not to decide the future of Congress, but to decide the future of Assam. The BJP government did more work in the state in five years than what Congress did in 50 years.”

    “The difference between BJP and Congress is that the opposition party does opportunistic vote bank politics and has surrendered the country’s security for the sake of its appeasement politics. To appease the minorities, Congress is playing with the nation’s security,” Gadkari said.

    The union minister listed a host of projects that his ministry has implemented in the state and the north east.

    He said Assam will be one of the top states in India if BJP returns to power in the state.

    “During our tenure, road work of 30,000 crore have been completed in Assam. Sanctions for another Rs 50,000 crore for roads have been given. At present, work for Rs 35,000 crore is on. Assam will have completed roads of Rs two lakh crore in the next five years,” he added.

    Besides, the Centre has approved Rs 1,300 crore bamboo mission and other industries like an ethanol plant for the state.

    He said the northeast region will be developed as a manufacturing hub for incense sticks made of bamboo, besides creating waterways to connect the region with South East Asia.

    The government is at present developing a Rs 1,200 crore multi-modal logistic park spread across 317 acres at Jogighopa, which will create huge job opportunities.

    “What chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and (Assam minister Chandra Mohan) Patowary did for Assam in the last five years it was just a trailer. The actual film is yet to start,” he added.

  • Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announces vehicle scrappage policy in Lok Sabha

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the vehicle scrappage policy in Lok Sabha on Thursday.

    In case of failure to get a fitness certificate, commercial vehicles will be de-registered after 15 years. Private vehicles will be de-registered after 20 years if found unfit or in case of a failure to renew registration certificates, the Minister said.

    He added that under the new vehicle scrappage policy, owners of old vehicles will get strong incentives to scrap old and unfit vehicles.

    “We have issued an advisory to all vehicle manufacturers to offer 5 per cent discount while selling a new vehicle against a scrapping certificate,” the minister said in Lok Sabha.

    “In the interest of a clean environment and rider and pedestrian safety, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is introducing the ‘Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernization Program’ or ‘Vehicle Scrapping Policy’, which is aimed at creating an eco-system for phasing out of unfit and polluting vehicles,” said the Union Minister in a suo-moto statement.

    “The objectives of the policy are to reduce the population of old and defective vehicles, achieve a reduction in vehicular air pollutants to fulfill India’s climate commitments, improve road and vehicular safety, achieve better fuel efficiency, formalize the currently informal vehicle scrapping industry, and boost the availability of low-cost raw materials for automotive, steel and electronics industry,” Gadkari added.

    The criteria for a vehicle to be scrapped is primarily based on the fitness of vehicles through Automated Fitness Centres (AFCs) in case of commercial vehicles and non-renewal of Registration in case of private vehicles.

    “The Ministry shall promote setting up of AFCs on a PPP model by state government, private sector, automobile companies etc.,” he said.

    All vehicles of the central government, state government, municipal corporations, Panchayats, State Transport Undertakings, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and autonomous bodies with the Union and state governments may be de-registered and scrapped after 15 years from the date of registration.

    The tentative date for scrappage of government and PSUs vehicles above 15 years of age is April 1, 2022.

    The new scrappage policy was proposed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her Budget speech last month.  

  • Bengal will get Rs 1 lakh crore road projects with ‘double engine’ govt: Gadkari

    Gadkari also addressed allegations by the Trinamool Congress that Central agencies were being used to create pressure by changing officers.

  • What happened to Mamata was accident, should’nt be politicised: Nitin Gadkari

    By ANI
    The incident in which West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suffered injury was an “accident” and it should not be politicised, said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday, adding that such controversies ruin the atmosphere of the elections.

    Gadkari also termed the accident “unfortunate” and said we should not tarnish polls.

    “Polls further dignify our democratic traditions. We shouldn’t tarnish polls. What happened with Mamata Banerjee was an accident, everyone says it. This should not be politicised. She and we are going to the people’s court. One should go ahead by accepting the decision,” Gadkari told ANI.

    “The BJP is appealing to the people, they (Trinamool Congress) should also do the same. Whatever the public decides should be accepted and they should move forward. Creating such controversies and ruining the atmosphere of the elections is not right. The accident was unfortunate but I urge her not to politicise it,” he added.

    Earlier on March 10, Banerjee had alleged that she was pushed by a few unidentified people during her election campaigning. Later, she was brought to Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital by road from Nandigram. Banerjee sustained “severe bone injuries” on her left foot and ankle as well as bruises and injuries on her shoulder, forearm and neck, according to the report of her initial medical examination. She was discharged from the hospital on March 12.

    Following the alleged attack, the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer in the state, demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s treatment history at SSKM hospital to be made public.

    Last week, a delegation of six MPs of Trinamool Congress (TMC) met the Election Commission officials in the national capital to raise their concern over the Nandigram incident. “The events/actions leading up to the attempt on her life, leave no doubt that the attack was premeditated and part of a deep-rooted conspiracy,” read a letter by the TMC to the Election Commission.

    A BJP delegation also met the Election Commission of India and demanded an impartial probe into an alleged attack on Mamata Banerjee.

    West Bengal is likely to witness a triangular contest this time with TMC, Congress-Left alliance and the BJP in the fray.

    Elections to 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

  • Scania row: Congress seeks judicial inquiry into charges against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday demanded a judicial inquiry into the allegation that a Swedish firm gave a luxury bus to a company linked to union minister Nitin Gadkari, who has denied the charge as “malicious, fabricated and baseless”.

    Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the reports of the bus contract scam are “indeed very disturbing”.

    She said the prime minister who used to speak about probity in public life is today “forced to be silent. He does not even want to talk about this”.

    “We demand a judicial inquiry into this. We demand that the Government of India take this into cognisance and issue a statement clarifying its position,” she told reporters.

    “We demand an inquiry into this and we hope that the government will take this into cognisance and not brush it under the carpet just like many other scams under its regime,” she also said.

    The Congress leader also released pictures of Gadkari with the company’s top officials including CEO.

    Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s office issued a statement denying the reports and said “these accusations are malicious, fabricated and baseless”.

    “Since the entire episode of Scania bus was an internal affair of the Swedish company, the statement of Scania spokesperson has made it clear that Shri Gadkari and his family members have absolutely nothing to do with purchase or sale of any Scania bus.

    Nor do they have anything to do with any firm or individual who might be linked with the purchase of the bus,” Gadkari’s office said in a statement.

  • Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, wife take Covid-19 vaccine at AIIMS Nagpur

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari received the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur on Saturday.

    The road transport, highways and MSMEs minister was accompanied by his wife Kanchan Gadkari, who also took the vaccine shot.

    “Took the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine today along with my wife at AIIMS, Nagpur. This is safe,” the senior BJP leader said after taking the jab.

    He urged people to get inoculated in order to make the country free from COVID-19.

    “I appeal people to come forward for vaccination and contribute towards saving the country from corona,” Gadkari, 63, said.

    He also shared a short video of him getting the first dose.

    The second phase of the country’s COVID-19 vaccination drive commenced on March 1 for people over 60 years and those in the age bracket of 45-59 years and have specified co-morbid conditions.

  • Jan Sangh founded by Bengal’s son Syama Prasad Mukherjee, still Mamata calls BJP ‘outsider party’: Gadkari

    By PTI
    JOYPUR: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee considers the BJP as an “outsider party” despite the founder of its precursor, Jan Sangh, being the state’s son Syama Prasad Mukherjee.

    Addressing a rally during the party’s Parivartan Yatra in Purulia district, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said the country’s essence is unity in diversity.

    “We want to weave the country together and not divide it. The development and advancement of India is the BJP’s goal.”

    “Mamata calls the BJP an outsider party but the Jan Sangh, based on the ideals of which the saffron party was formed, was founded by Bengal’s son Syama Prasad Mukherjee,” he said.

    The Union Minister claimed that youths don’t get jobs in West Bengal, farmers don’t get fair prices for their produce, the state does not have good roads and rural people are deprived of good healthcare facilities.

    “You have given many years to the Congress, the CPI (M)-led Left Front and 10 years to Mamata Banerjee, but West Bengal could not recover,” he said.

    He said that road development work in the state has been hampered due to the TMC government’s failure to acquire land for the purpose.

    The minister said that the development of the 84-km road from Bankura to Purulia at an expense of Rs 341 crore has been completed by the NHAI, providing better connectivity to the backward areas in the region with Asansol, Durgapur and neighbouring Jharkhand.

    “A 74-km road project connecting Purulia with Jharkhand’s Chandil at a cost of Rs 709 crore has been sanctioned and it will be completed by June 2022,” he said.

    This road will connect Dhanbad, Bokaro, Purulia and Chandil, he said.

    The minister said that a 10-km long four-lane Purulia bypass road has also been sanctioned by his ministry that will entail a cost of Rs 217 crore and the work order for it will be awarded by April.

    He said that a project for a bypass road at Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district has also been sanctioned by the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry.

    Gadkari, also the Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister, said the MSME Ministry also has several projects that can provide income opportunities to people.

    “There has been no development of West Bengal and people of the state are living in fear and hunger amid corruption,” he said, claiming that the BJP wants to change the situation prevailing in the state.

    “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government has achieved in five years what could not be done in 50 years,” he said.

    Gadkari said that Jan Dhan accounts of 35 crore people have been opened during the BJP regime whereas there were only three crore bank accounts during the previous Congress government’s rule.

    He said that nine crore poor families in the country have been provided with free gas connections by the Modi government.

    Calling on the people of West Bengal to choose a “double engine government” (BJP’s rule both at Centre and state), Gadkari said, “What did not happen in 50 years will take place during five years of BJP rule in the state.”

    “On May 2 (the day of counting of votes), the government will change with the BJP getting a majority. The leader of the party will be decided the next day and a BJP chief minister will take oath on May 4,” he said.

    He claimed that men and women will get employment under the BJP rule and West Bengal will again be a happy and prosperous state.

    Elections to the 294-member state assembly will be held in eight phases from March 27 to April 29.

  • Bombay HC rejects Gadkari’s application to dismiss poll plea

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Friday rejected an application filed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari seeking dismissal of an election petition filed against him for submitting false information in his poll affidavit in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    A single bench of Justice A S Chandurkar refused to dismiss the election petition filed by Nagpur resident Mohammed Nafis Khan noting that it discloses material facts and gives necessary cause of action to challenge the election of Gadkari.

    The court, however, struck down a slew of submissions and allegations made in the election petition pertaining to income earned by Gadkari’s family members and land owned by them as well as other points regarding expenditure made during the election process.

    Justice Chandurkar, in the order, noted that two points of the election petition, one pertaining to a land owned solely by Gadkari in Nagpur and the second related to Gadkari declaring his source of income as that from agriculture, were not liable to be struck down and hence the election petition should be heard and decided.

    As per Khan’s election petition, Gadkari was the sole owner of the land and hence his claim in the poll affidavit that the land is owned by his family as a whole was false.

    Khan, in his petition, also claimed Gadkari had stated he does not own any agricultural land and, hence, it is false to say his source of income is from agriculture.

    Gadkari had filed an application seeking dismissal of Khan’s petition, which sought the former’s election to the Lok Sabha from Nagpur be declared null and void.

    Gadkari’s application also sought the striking out of several submissions in the petition which were “unnecessary, vexatious, scandalous and frivolous”.

    Gadkari’s advocates Sunil Manohar and D V Chauhan argued an election petition should only indicate violation of provisions of Representation of the People Act and not allegations against family members of the candidate.

    “Only on the basis of surmises and conjectures it was alleged by the petitioner (Khan) that the affidavit filed by the returned candidate (Gadkari) was false,” they argued.

  • PM Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari should hold talks with farm unions: NCP chief Sharad Pawar

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Union ministers like Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari should hold talks with farmers’ unions to resolve the deadlock over ongoing protest against the three new agriculture laws.

    He said differences regarding the implementation of agriculture reforms can be resolved through deliberations.

    Pawar was speaking to reporters in Baramati, his hometown in Pune district.

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior ministers like Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari should hold talks with farmers’ organisations,” he said.

    “Piyush Goyal is from Mumbai and I don’t know how much he knows about agriculture,” he said.

    Goyal and a few other union ministers have been holding talks with the farmer representatives to break the impasse.

    Pawar said agriculture was a state subject and laws should be enacted after consultations with the state governments.

    “There can be differences over implementation of agriculture reforms, which can be resolved through deliberations,” the former Union agriculture minister said.

    According to him, laws for agriculture reforms were being discussed since 2003 when Vajpayee was the prime minister.

    “In my time, discussions used to take place with the state governments since agriculture is a state subject. A committee of agriculture ministers of nine states was formed to study and prepare a draft law, which was headed by the then Maharashtra minister Harshvardhan Patil.

    “The draft was prepared and states were asked to discuss it. But the present government has prepared its own law and got it passed in the Parliament amid chaos and without discussion,” he said.

    “There was no consultation and the states were not taken into confidence. Agriculture reforms have to be done when required. Differences if any can be resolved through talks,” he said.

    When asked about BJP leader Narayan Rane’s remark that Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Sindhudurg on Sunday would be a good omen to pave the way for fall of the MVA government in the state, Pawar said, “Rane is an old colleague and I didn’t know that he cracks such jokes. His remarks should be seen as a political joke and nothing more than that.”