Safety must get highest priority while constructing roads: Gadkari

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday drew attention to the rising number of road accidents and consequent deaths, and stressed on giving safety the highest priority while constructing pathways in the country. Gadkari said if anyone dies in an accident due to road engineering fault in the future, then he will guilty for it. Highlighting the Centre's efforts to prevent road accidents at an event in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur, he urged government engineers to quit their jobs and start a good DPR (detailed project report) making company, assuring them to give work on a priority basis.
Addressing the 83rd annual session of the Indian Roads Congress at Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium, Gadkari emphasized on production of bitumen and CNG from stubble in agriculture-dominated Chhattisgarh, arguing the move will cut dependence on fossil fuels and check pollution. "Every year 1.50 lakh deaths due to road accidents are reported which has now increased to 1.68 lakh. Efforts are on to improve the shortcomings in road engineering and automobile engineering but defective DPR has created a major problem," the minister maintained.He advised government engineers to quit their jobs and start a good DPR making company.
"We have been making serious efforts to prevent road accidents. Nearly 60 per cent of victims of road accidents are aged between 18 to 34 years. I would like to urge you to build roads where no accidents take place (due to defective engineering works)," he said.Improvement in road engineering will curb accidents and save lives, the minister asserted.