Latest news with #PunyabhushanAward
The Hindu
33 minutes ago
- Business
- The Hindu
No fund crunch but bureaucratic delay, says Union Minister Gadkari on execution of big projects
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said there is no dearth of funds for projects but expressed concern over the bureaucracy's lack of flexibility and "complete no to out-of-the-box ideas" to execute big projects. Also read: Centre approves ₹10,637-crore road, tunnel projects for Kashmir Former bureaucrat Vijay Kelkar adopted a flexible approach and was an exception to this mindset, Mr. Gadkari said on Monday (June 23, 2025) at a function in Pune where Kelkar was conferred the Punyabhushan Award. "There is no death of funds with us. I always talk of ₹1 lakh crore, ₹50,000 crore, ₹2 lakh crore projects. Generally journalists do not trust politicians when it comes to big ticket announcements. I tell them to record what I say and run breaking news if the work does not get materialised," he said. Mr. Gadkari also said the concern was about slow pace of work rather than availability of funds. "In rural areas, when cattle go for grazing, they follow one line. They are so disciplined that they never break the order. I sometimes get the same feeling with the bureaucracy. It is a complete no to out-of-the-box ideas. But Kelkar sir accepted flexibility in policy-making," Mr. Gadkari said. Mr. Gadkari said he had met Mr. Kelkar when the latter was chairman of the finance commission and told him that 406 projects costing ₹3.85 lakh crore were stalled, and there was a danger of banks ending up with non-performing assets of ₹3 lakh crore. "He asked me what was the reason. I told him the only reason is bureaucrats. We solved the issue by terminating some projects and rectifying some. The projects resumed and banks were saved from having NPAs of ₹3 lakh crore," he said. "Kelkar did excellent work in every department but the policies he drafted as finance secretary had a long term effect on India's future," the Union minister said. In 2009, when (former President of India) Pranab Mukherjee was the Union finance minister, Kelkar was trying to create a consensus on GST while facing several challenges but he insisted it had to be done as it was in the interest of the country, Union Minister Gadkari recounted. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kelkar said politicians are the one who promote social and economic reforms. "I feel they are the real policy entrepreneurs as they are the decision makers," he added.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Vijay Kelkar felicitated with Punyabhushan Award
PUNE: Distinguished economist and well-known figure in India's economic policy reforms, Vijay Kelkar, on Monday was felicitated with the Punyabhushan Award for his exceptional contributions to the field of economics. The awards ceremony was held in Pune wherein union minister Nitin Gadkari conferred the prestigious award on Kelkar. Kelkar's name had been finalised for the award by the selection committee chaired by renowned scientist Raghunath Mashelkar. Alongside Kelkar, the Pune-based Punyabhushan Foundation also honoured four soldiers who sustained injuries while on duty and the mother of a war martyr for the sacrifices made by these brave hearts for their country. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Padma Vibhushan professor MM Sharma felicitated economist Vijay Kelkar (centre) with the Punyabhushan Award 2025 in Pune on Monday. (HT) Gadkari expressed deep respect for Mashelkar and said that he was truly pleased to see Kelkar receive the award. 'Sometimes, a person adds prestige to an award and today, both the receiver and the award have made each other more prestigious,' Gadkari said. Referring to Kelkar's contributions to the goods and services tax (GST) policy, Gadkari praised Kelkar's role in shaping an economic system that has curbed tax evasion and boosted government revenue. 'GST has brought discipline into the system, reduced black money, and today, it has become a model followed across the world,' Gadkari said, adding that the Indian economy has greatly benefited from such structural changes and that Kelkar deserves all the credit for the same. Gadkari did not hesitate to criticise outdated economic ideologies. 'Thoughts like socialism, communism, and capitalism have become obsolete. Old decisions taken by political parties now need to be revised but no one is ready to take that bold step and we also don't have a system where people who made wrong decisions during their time in government confess or admit that their decisions were wrong' Gadkari said. 'There is no shortage of funds today and investment in capital markets is high but the system does not move at the speed it should. When we propose innovative ideas, the default response from officers is, 'It is not possible' that often blocks development,' Gadkari said. 'If we want to uplift the poor, we must be ready to break the laws even 10 times. We did just that while implementing the e-cycle scheme and eradicated cycle rickshaw,' he said. The union minister stated that the automobile industry is a key factor in the Indian economy and announced that within the next seven years, India will become the world's leading automobile manufacturing hub. Concluding his speech, Gadkari said that the welfare of the poor, economic prosperity, and progressive policy reforms can only be achieved through the knowledge, efforts and minds of people like Kelkar.
Mint
4 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
No dearth of funds, says Gadkari; cites bureaucracys lack of novel ideas as problem
Pune, Jun 24 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said there is no dearth of funds for projects but expressed concern over the bureaucracy's lack of flexibility and "complete no to out-of-the-box ideas". Former bureaucrat Vijay Kelkar adopted a flexible approach and was an exception to this mindset, Gadkari said on Monday at a function in Pune where Kelkar was conferred the Punyabhushan Award. "There is no death of funds with us. I always talk of ₹ 1 lakh crore, ₹ 50,000 crore, ₹ 2 lakh crore projects. Generally journalists do not trust politicians when it comes to big ticket announcements. I tell them to record what I say and run breaking news if the work does not get materialised," he said. The minister also said the concern was about slow pace of work rather than availability of funds. "In rural areas, when cattle go for grazing, they follow one line. They are so disciplined that they never break the order. I sometimes get the same feeling with the bureaucracy. It is a complete no to out-of-the-box ideas. But Kelkar sir accepted flexibility in policy-making," he said. Gadkari said he had met Kelkar when the latter was chairman of the finance commission and told him that 406 projects costing ₹ 3.85 lakh crore were stalled, and there was a danger of banks ending up with non-performing assets of ₹ 3 lakh crore. "He asked me what was the reason. I told him the only reason is bureaucrats. We solved the issue by terminating some projects and rectifying some. The projects resumed and banks were saved from having NPAs of ₹ 3 lakh crore," he said. "Kelkar did excellent work in every department but the policies he drafted as finance secretary had a long term effect on India's future," the Union minister said. In 2009, when (former President of India) Pranab Mukherjee was the Union finance minister, Kelkar was trying to create a consensus on GST while facing several challenges but he insisted it had to be done as it was in the interest of the country, Gadkari recounted. Speaking on the occasion, Kelkar said politicians are the one who promote social and economic reforms. "I feel they are the real policy entrepreneurs as they are the decision makers," he added.
India Gazette
9 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Funds not a constraint, only speed of execution is the issue: Nitin Gadkari
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 24 (ANI): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Monday emphasised the government's strong financial standing and the urgent need to accelerate infrastructure project execution. Speaking at the Punyabhushan Award ceremony in Pune, he also took aim at the lack of out-of-the-box thinking within the administration. 'There is no shortage of funds. I often make announcements worth Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 50,000 crore. People especially journalists find it hard to believe such figures. I tell them to write down every word, and if even one project doesn't happen, they can run it as breaking news. But today, the problem isn't funding it's the lack of speed in execution,' Gadkari said. He explained that innovative financial models have enabled infrastructure investments far beyond annual budgetary allocations. 'Though the budget is Rs 2 lakh crore, I can manage to spend Rs 8 to Rs 10 lakh crore,' he said, highlighting the Indian economy's dynamic and growth-oriented approach. Gadkari criticised the rigid functioning of the administration system, likening it to rural animal behaviour. 'In villages, when animals move out to graze, they walk in a disciplined straight line. Similarly, our administrative system functions in a rigid, linear way. If someone suggests an out-of-the-box idea, it's often dismissed outright as 'not possible',' he said. Recalling a significant conversation with the then Finance Commission chairman, Gadkari said that 406 projects worth Rs 3.85 lakh crore were stuck with banks and risked becoming non-performing assets (NPAs). 'The issue wasn't money--it was land acquisition delays, pending utility shifting, lack of railway and environmental clearances, and legal cases. These systemic blockages pushed major companies towards bankruptcy,' he said. The minister further explained how the government intervened. 'We sat together, assessed the projects, and terminated Rs 40,000 crore worth of unviable ones. We revived others and prevented Rs 3 lakh crore worth of NPAs, saving banks and the economy from a major crisis,' he said. He credited Vijay Kelkar, former bureaucrat and economist, for introducing impactful reforms. 'Kelkar Sahab was open to new ideas. He accepted what was reasonable, rejected what was not, and corrected policies accordingly. His goal was always clear India's economic growth and development.' Concluding his speech, Gadkari stressed that policy-making is crucial for progress and praised administrative officers who drive systemic change. 'Without reform-oriented leadership, even the most capable officials get frustrated. Kelkar's legacy reminds us that governance must be agile, not rigid,' he said. (ANI)
