Hydrogen fuel, Vision 2047, more ropeways : Longest serving Road Minister Nitin Gadkari’s priorities this time

NEW DELHI : Entering the third term in office on Wednesday, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari will be focusing on hydrogen fuel, cashless treatment for accident victims, more ropeway projects and the Ministry’s Vision 2047.

Gadkari is the sole minister in the NDA cabinet who has not been moved since 2014, when he first joined the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). He joined the Ministry in May 2014 and became the longest serving minister when he was repeated with the same portfolio in 2019. Now, he is heading for a record that will not be easy for any other leader to surpass.

Gadkari joined the office on Wednesday. Among the ideas that will be prioritised by him will be push for greener fuels like hydrogen. He has long been an advocate of greener fuels. He uses a hydrogen-powered car but the technology, as of now, is very limited. News18 has learnt that the minister will push for the mass use of greener fuels, including hydrogen and will focus on building infrastructure for it.

The ministry has already prepared 100-day plans for the projects and ideas it will need to push in the first three months of the new government.

Among the 100-day plans, the push for greener fuel, pan-India implementation of cashless treatment of road accident victims and the steps for Ministry’s Vision 2047 will be key priorities. Further, Gadkari’s long-pending wish of satellite-based tolling and Advanced Traffic Management System will also get priority. The Ministry will push projects related to the Advanced Traffic Management System to at least 500 km in the next few months.

In this term, the Ministry and Gadkari will aim to introduce greener public transport between important stretches.