Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that the 36% increase in the Ministry of Road Transport Budget would enable India to have roads like those in the US by the end of next year.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the last full budget of the Modi government 2.0 on Wednesday, allocated the Ministry of Road Transport Rs 2.7 lakh crore.
Praising the Union Budget 2023 in the ABP News Budget Conclave, Gadkari emphasised the importance of focusing on backward areas to improve infrastructure. He said that development comes via roadways and that if roads are good, industries will develop and lead to employment, thereby reducing poverty. He also spoke of the government's aim to make India self-reliant and a 'super economy' in the world.
Responding to the Opposition's allegations of this being an "election budget", Gadkari said that some people in the opposition just had to criticise to be in the limelight.
Gadkari responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of the BJP of spreading hatred in the country, saying that the BJP is not opening any hatred shops, and that the Wayanad MP must have seen development everywhere, as the BJP did not discriminate in any of their schemes.
Gandhi had also challenged any BJP leader to travel and show what they have done in Jammu and Kashmir. Gadkari said that the BJP is building roads and tunnels in the region worth Rs 1 lakh crore, which was not done during Congress rule.
Gadkari also said that the freebiw culture needs to end in the country. "The government is giving free ration to the people to ensure that no one goes hungry as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However, promises of free buses and electricity in elections are not right. The focus should be on creating employment and strengthening the infrastructure," he said.