Gadkari: All legal aspects to be considered for Ram temple

Dubai: Nitin Gadkari is a senior minister in Narendra Modi's government who keeps a low profile and is known for his performance.

Unlike his Cabinet and party colleagues, Gadkari stays away from controversies and never makes provocative statements or speeches. He, however, is very close to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, his Bharatiya Janata Party’s parent organisation and is often seen as someone who has the potential to emerge as a consensus candidate for prime minister’s post if the BJP falls short of a majority on its own in 2019.

He was in Dubai recently on a private visit and spoke to Gulf News exclusively, candidly answering questions about his Roads and Surface Transport and Shipping Ministry but was reluctant to discuss politics.

Below are the excerpts:

On legislation for Ram temple

This subject is subjudice and being heard in the Supreme Court. To decide on any subjudice matter, there are several legal aspects and the government will have to take every legal aspect into consideration. The Prime Minister will take a call on this matter.

On Sabarimala

In our country, every decision taken by the state is referred to the Supreme Court. Should a road be constructed on a particular path, should a tree be pruned, should a person wear a particular clothing. When it comes to religion or faith, the judiciary has its limitations. The Supreme Court does not have a resolution for all. We cannot change people’s thought or sentiments like instant food. Some issue have to be left on the community and a solution may not be found through the legal channels.

The constitution has set the limits, rights and duties. We must honour these. But when it comes to issues of faith, we cannot resolve this through legal channels.

Prime Ministerial candidate

As of now, I am happy to do what I am doing. I believe that under Modiji’s, leadership we will get an absolute majority and we will form the government at the Centre. I am not in any race nor harbour any dreams.

Cleaning Ganga

The Namaami Gange Project has 260 projects spending INR 26,000 million. There are 12 projects in Delhi alone and with Ganga and tributaries there are several other projects, cleaning up the Ganga and Yamuna right upto Agra and Etawah.

For the project, we have 150 bio-digesters to clean up the pollutants in the Ganges. Pollution caused by dumping of bodies is not as much as these are devoured by marine animals and is considered biodegradable. But we do not support this and are working to stop this practice. We are constructing 160 cremation sites along the banks of Ganga with electric and wood crematoriums so that people do not dump bodies in the river. We are constructing 200 new ghats along the banks. About 70 per cent of this work has been completed.

Sustainability for Ganga

All farmers along the Ganga have been asked to only conduct organic farming. In nearly 4,500 villages along the banks, people have completely stopped open defecation and have proper lavatories. We have planted about 15 million trees and have also started an awareness project to educate villagers with para military and military cadres.

Government has adopted a policy a zero discharge policy with sugar and paper mills, levying fines and companies are complying. For recycling waste from leather tanneries we have initiated 7 projects in Kanpur where the tanneries are located. All the waste water will be recycled and be re-used.

In the forthcoming Kumbh, 150 million participants will have bio toilets. We already treating the deep canals and drains with bio remediation. We are using new short and long term cleaning technologies to recycle water. You will see a cleaner Kumbh.

Marine transport

The national waterway-1 stretch is defined as Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system from Allahabad to Haldia (1620km). It passes through UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. We are working on four aspects on this waterway. First, it will have four multi modal hubs being constructed at Varanasi, Ghazipur, Sahibgnaj and Halida. Second, there will be construction of 60 river ports and work on this is already underway. Third, we will have nine places on the route with RoRo services (Rolled On and Rolled Off services to wheel cargo through ships). We have made an elaborate river traffic arrangement for the waterways which is akin to the air traffic control management. This will change the face of transport economics. In India, our biggest challenge currently in transporting goods is the logistic cost which is 16 per cent, in China it is 8-10 per cent and in Europe it is 12-13 per cent. If we use roadways, the logistic cost is about INR 10, by railways it is INR 6 and by waterways it is INR 1. For cities and towns enroute, Ganga this water channel will be a big economic growth engine. We are working towards transforming 111 rivers in India into effective waterways. In India, we have a total of 20,000 km length or river coast line and 7500 km of sea coast line. If all this is converted into effective water ways for transport it will completely transform the country’s economy.

Road transport

India has 5.6 million km road length, with 96,000 km was national highway. Earlier, 40 per cent traffic of the country was plying on two per cent of Indian roads. Now, we have increased the length of national highways to 180,000 km so that 80 per cent of India’s traffic will be able to ply on four per cent of the roads.

We have a growth rate of 22 per cent in automobile use, so we need to extend roadways and also look at alternative modes of transport. That is why we have subsidised airborne traffic, we are building on waterways, rope ways, furnicular railway, cable cars and the like with international collaboration, it will take time, but once I have committed it will happen.