Do you test the limit of your bladder every time you travel by road, as there aren’t many clean restroom facilities for miles on most of our highways and relieving yourself by the roadside makes you feel shy and illiterate. Well, the new Prime Minister has been quick to understand our plight. At a review meeting held on Tuesday evening, he told highways ministry officials to focus on road side facilities on highways. He has also sent out a message that there will be no compromise on the quality of construction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the officials to ensure that every national highway has good amenities including resting places, eating joints and other public conveniences by earmarking areas for such facilities. Although the National Highways Authority of India and the surface transport ministry have identified areas for wayside amenities, the plan is still on paper and there has been no execution yet.
Government officials said that Modi has asked the finance ministry officials present in the meeting to take the decision on giving more power to the highways ministry to approve projects involving higher investment. Currently, the ministry can clear projects which entail an investment of nothing more than 500 crores.
Source: ET