Union Minister Gadkari calls for honest leaders dedicated to poor and farmers

Vidisha, Jan 17 (IANS) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday emphasised the need for honest, dedicated leaders who prioritise the welfare of villages, the poor, labourers, and farmers, stating that India's progress hinges on their empowerment.  

Speaking at a programme in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district, where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for eight national highway projects worth over Rs 4,400 crore, Gadkari said: "The country needs leaders who work honestly for the villages, the poor, the labourers, and the farmers. Today, we want to make our country – “Vishwa Guru”, a world leader, the largest economy, the most powerful economy of the world. We have the power to do this."

He highlighted India's talent pool, noting that Indian engineers, software professionals, and doctors are excelling globally. "Our engineers are spread all over the world. I have been once asked by a Japanese leader- do Indian software engineers have some kind of mathematical genes? In America and the UK, 6 out of 10 doctors are Indian," he remarked.

Gadkari stressed that "knowledge is power," encompassing innovations, entrepreneurship, science, technology, research, skills, and best practices.

The minister envisioned a future where rural India thrives, predicting: "The day is not far when we will go back from the city to the village." He advocated for agricultural equipment, tractors, harvesters, generators, and construction machinery to run on electricity to save farmers millions in costs, pointing out that “We import fossil fuel worth Rs 22 lakh crore.”

Seeking cooperation from former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he said the latter had agreed, praising ongoing efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan's leadership to bring prosperity to farmers.

Drawing an analogy, Gadkari assured fulfilment of demands from leaders like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and Rakesh Singh: "I have Draupadi's plate; no matter how many people come to eat, not a single person will go hungry. I will feed everyone; I give you this promise."

Recalling his Mumbai tenure (1995-2000), the minister claimed to have executed Rs 6,000 crore worth of work—including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway—with just Rs 5 crore, asserting: "There is no shortage of money in this country." He underscored farmers' potential beyond food production, positioning them as energy providers.

"Our farmer can also produce hydrogen," he said, citing ethanol blending success: petrol now matches ethanol prices, powering vehicles from scooters to trucks. In Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s region, farmer-produced electricity meets the entire Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency's needs.

Gadkari touched on reducing import dependence, mentioning breakthroughs in local production of items and even aircraft engines, with farmers involved in advanced innovations.

The event, attended by dignitaries including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, aligned with broader rural development goals, including smart villages and waste-to-wealth initiatives.

--IANS

sktr/uk