Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday addressed a National Conference in Mumbai to attract investment to the infrastructure sector and said that such investments will definitely give "good returns."
Addressing the National Conference on "Investment Opportunities in Highways, Transport and Logistics" in Mumbai today, Gadkari said, "I once rejected a tender from Reliance for Mumbai-Pune Expressway in 1995. Everyone was upset with me including Balasaheb Thackeray. But then, we set up Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC)."
Citing the example of the MSRDC project, the minister said that it was built at almost half the price.
"We set up MSRDC project at almost half the price. Reliance was quoting Rs 3,600 crores but we completed the project in just Rs 1,600 crores and saved Rs 2,000 crore," he said.
Gadkari said the road has been monetized twice by the state government. "In 1996, it was monetized for Rs 3,000 crore and recently it has got Rs 8,000 crore. So a project which was built in Rs 1,600 crores has earned Rs 11,000 crores till now," he added.
He said, "I gave you this example just to make you understand the importance of investment in roads and infrastructure. It will definitely give you good returns."
( With inputs from ANI )
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