Union minister Nitin Gadkari said since all the ports have gone to Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation, the Centre would establish a dry port at a suitable road and rail junction so that the Telangana government can export and import directly.
“After Telangana was formed, all ports have gone to Andhra since they have a coastline. I told the Telangana government that a big river like Godavari which joins the sea can be ideal for a dry port. We will set up a dry port,” he said.
Gadkari was in Khammam district to lay the foundation stones for a new bridge across the Godavari at Bhadrachalam that is to cost Rs 98.45 crore, 49-km-long national highway from the state’s border to Rudrampur village costing Rs 244 crore and a 44-km-long highway from Rudrampur to Bhadrachalam town at a cost of Rs 295 crore.
Transport minister P. Mahender Reddy and roads and buildings minister Tummala Nageswara Rao met Mr Gadkari and sought his ministry’s support for the early bifurcation of the RTC and also the Centre’s support to secure a new fleet of buses.
Mr Gadkari promised Central support for the bifurcation of the RTC in a month.
Mr Nageswar Rao submitted a memorandum to Mr Gadkari seeking Central support for converting six state highways into national highways besides improving the road network in Telangana.
Mr Gadkari said the Centre was bringing in a new Motor Vehicles Act which would plug loopholes of the 1998 Act, check road accidents through stringent rules besides ensuring a computerised driving licence in three days.
“The Centre has studied MV acts of the US, the UK, Japan, Germany and Singapore. After consulting the World Bank think tank, the new Act has been compiled,” he said.
“Those seeking a driving licence will undergo a computerised test and get the result. The person will get a driving licence in three days time. The 1998 RTA Act has loopholes,” he said.
Expressing anguish over the huge loss of life in road accidents, Mr Gadkari said the Centre would take steps to check the same.
“Every year 5 lakh accidents occur in the country and about 1.5 lakh persons lose their lives and three lakh become handicapped. We will now have a stringent act which will curb most of these malaises,” he said.
Source: Deccan Chronicle