If you want good services, you have to pay for it.’

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that people have to paytoll if they want good roads, making it clear that the toll system would stayas the government does not have enough funds.

Replying to a discussion on demands for grants for the RoadTransport and Highways Ministry in the Lok Sabha, he said that the governmentbuilt 40,000 kilometres of highway in the last five years.

Amid concerns expressed by some members over collection oftoll in different parts of the country, Gadkari said that that money collectedthrough toll from those areas which have capacity to pay are utilised forbuilding roads in rural and hilly areas.

“Toll zindagi bar band nahi ho sakta... kam zyaada ho sakthahai. Toll ka jaanamdata mein hoon (Toll system can never end though the ratesmay vary from time to time. Toll is my brain child),” Gadkari said. “If youwant good services, you have to pay for it.”

“Government does not have money,” he stressed.

Problems with land acquisition

Underlining that land acquisition is a major problem in roadconstruction projects, Gadkari urged the state governments to come out withsolutions and help find a way out.

The Minister said that his ministry was not moving forwardwith the project without 80 per cent of land acquisition and this principle isbeing followed very strictly. Gadkari said land acquisition process is veryslow in West Bengal and Bihar.

Noting that more than 400 projects worth 3.85 lakh crorewere closed when he assumed charge of the ministry in 2014, Gadkari said theModi government saved NPAs worth 3 lakh crore during the past five years bybeginning work on these projects.“There were 403 projects pending when NarendraModi came to power involving a cost of 3,85,000 crore. It is a greatachievement of Indian government that we saved bankers of Rs 3 lakh crore ofNPAs and now 90 per cent of projects are moving fast,” he said.Gadkari alsoinformed the House that the Ministry is working on a new green expressway fromNew Delhi to Mumbai, which can be covered in 12 hours. It will pass throughmost backward and tribal areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra and alsosave Rs 16,000 crore in land acquisition.

Gadkari referred to former US President John F Kennedy’squote that “American roads are not good because America is rich, but America isrich because American roads are good”, to emphasise on building good quality ofhighways and roads across the country to boost its economy.

No partiality

Rejecting the charge from members of West Bengal and TamilNadu that their states are being over-looked, Gadkari said he makes nodistinction between states. He said land acquisition is the biggest hurdle inroad projects in West Bengal.

Replying to clarifications sought by members on the CentralRoad Fund, Gadkari said he will talk to the Finance Minister about this andensure that local MPs have a role in it. The Central Road Fund (CRF) is anon-lapsable fund created under the Central Road Fund Act 2000. It is procuredout of cess/tax imposed by the Union Government on consumption of petrol anddiesel.

CRF should be used to develop and maintain NationalHighways, State roads (that have economic importance with inter-stateconnectivity), rural roads, railway under/over bridges etc, and nationalwaterways (waterways from 2017 onwards only).

In response to a question by National Conference memberFarooq Abdullah, Gadkari said his ministry has executed work worth Rs 7000crore in Jammu and Kashmir in the last five years.