The BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre is all set to table the new Motor Vehicle Act in the coming session of the Parliament. Besides, the Government is also planning to computerise the entire process of issuing driving licences to check the fakes. Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, who was on his maiden visit to Punjab after becoming the part of Narendra Modi Government, was here to lay the foundation stone of highway projects worth over Rs3,300 crore in the State, said the new Motor Vehicle Act will be introduced in the coming session of Parliament under which it is proposed to hike the penalties for various violations so that the roads become safer.
Maintaining that the country had a large number of bogus driving licences, he said: “The Centre would soon commence computerisation of the process of issuing driving licences.” laying the foundation stone of seven National Highway Projects by a press of a button, Gadkari said that the NDA Government was committed to provide good connectivity across the country. “It is the endeavour of the Centre to provide good connectivity to ensure development of the country,” he said. They include projects totaling 222 kilometres and to be completed at a total cost of Rs3,342 crore.
launching his multi-crore project, Gadkari also promised Rs18,000 crore investment on Punjab's road infrastructure including five railways over bridges (ROB's). “Almost all major State Highways would be converted into national highways and work on it would commence before the end of this year,” he said. Gadkari said that good connectivity played a major role in development of US. “Punjab shall be developed on the lines of Canada and America and this shall be done in a time bound span of two years,” he added.
He said that he would ensure the project work started before March 31 and was completed without getting stuck due to any reason. In a unique step to launch water transportation at par with the European countries, Gadkari also declared to include Satluj and Beas rivers in the proposed water highways project along with 99 other rivers of the country. “These water roads would be approved in the next Parliament session,” he said.
Welcoming the Union Minister on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said that he was happy Gadkari has accepted all the demands of the State. “All my demands were immediately welcomed and accepted by the Union Minister for Transport and with immediate effect which was exactly opposite to the treatment meted out to the demands of Punjab by his (Gadkari's) predecessors in Congress regime,” he said.