Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari throughout a go to to overview project particulars of the proposed four-lane underground highway from Shaniwarwada to Swargate, on the Kaka Saheb Gadgil statue and the principle entrance of Shaniwarwada, in Pune, Monday, June 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has stated there is no such thing as a dearth of funds for initiatives however expressed concern over the paperwork’s lack of flexibility and “complete no to out-of-the-box ideas” to execute big initiatives.
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Former bureaucrat Vijay Kelkar adopted a versatile strategy and was an exception to this mindset, Mr. Gadkari stated on Monday (June 23, 2025) at a perform in Pune the place Kelkar was conferred the Punyabhushan Award.
“There is no death of funds with us. I always talk of ₹1 lakh crore, ₹50,000 crore, ₹2 lakh crore projects. Generally journalists do not trust politicians when it comes to big ticket announcements. I tell them to record what I say and run breaking news if the work does not get materialised,” he stated.
Mr. Gadkari additionally stated the priority was about sluggish tempo of labor slightly than availability of funds.
“In rural areas, when cattle go for grazing, they follow one line. They are so disciplined that they never break the order. I sometimes get the same feeling with the bureaucracy. It is a complete no to out-of-the-box ideas. But Kelkar sir accepted flexibility in policy-making,” Mr. Gadkari stated.
Mr. Gadkari stated he had met Mr. Kelkar when the latter was chairman of the finance fee and instructed him that 406 initiatives costing ₹3.85 lakh crore have been stalled, and there was a hazard of banks ending up with non-performing belongings of ₹3 lakh crore.
“He asked me what was the reason. I told him the only reason is bureaucrats. We solved the issue by terminating some projects and rectifying some. The projects resumed and banks were saved from having NPAs of ₹3 lakh crore,” he stated.
“Kelkar did excellent work in every department but the policies he drafted as finance secretary had a long term effect on India’s future,” the Union minister stated.
In 2009, when (former President of India) Pranab Mukherjee was the Union finance minister, Kelkar was attempting to create a consensus on GST whereas dealing with a number of challenges however he insisted it needed to be completed because it was within the curiosity of the nation, Union Minister Gadkari recounted.
Speaking on the event, Mr. Kelkar stated politicians are the one who promote social and financial reforms.
“I feel they are the real policy entrepreneurs as they are the decision makers,” he added.
Published – June 24, 2025 11:35 am IST