Gadkari, Goyal, other ministers meet to discuss issues obstructing infra projects

NEW DELHI: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday chaired a highlevel meeting to discuss various hurdles coming in the way of execution of pending infrastructure projects, including those of highways. The meeting prominently took up a major issue like forest clearance being sought for as many as 187 highway projects.

Apart from Gadkari, who chaired the meeting of a Group on Infrastructure through video conference, Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State for

Road Transport and Highways V K Singh also participated in the deliberation. It was unanimously decided to hold joint monthly meetings to resolve issues obstructing projects. "The meeting considered several issues, in respect of pending infrastructure projects, for resolution. A major issue raised in the meeting pertained top outstanding forest clearance for 187 highway projects," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement. It was also noted in the meeting that many projects had not yet applied for stage-ii forest clearance and the concerned officers were directed to initiate the process for the same immediately. During the meeting, it was underlined that 30 road projects are pending with Railways. However, Goyal "assured to resolve these within two days", the statement said. To iron out bottlenecks impeding infrastructure projects including 187 highway projects stuck for forest clearances, a high level meeting chaired by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari resolved to expedite these besides addressing issues with regard to 30 road projects pending with railways within two days, the government said on Tuesday.