Next Generation Infrastructure

We will cancel toll at around 125 plazas across India, says Nitin Gadkari

Aiming to spare general public from levy at highways, the government has announced it will scrap 125 toll plazas in the country by the end of February.

"We will cancel toll at around 125 plazas on some highways by the end of this month," Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said.

The minister added that toll collection at some 65 road projects have already stopped.

Nitin Gadkari. AFPNitin Gadkari. AFP

The government has also decided to make road projects toll free where less than Rs 50 crore investment has been made.

The electronic toll (e-toll) collection system introduced in the country will help save Rs 88,000 crore and cut waiting time at toll plazas significantly, Gadkari said quoting a Transport Corporation of India-IIM Kolkata study.

The study said, "Rs 60,000 crore was lost on account of various delays at check posts and electronic toll collection could save Rs 88,000 crore."

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/will-cancel-toll-around-125-plazas-across-india-says-nitin-gadkari-2095193.html

Smart Cities

One of the ideas from the BJP poll mani­fe­sto, this saw early action. In its first Bu­d­get in July, this government allocat­ed Rs 7,060 crore (Rs 70.60 billion) for smart cities, though the initial estimate for the project was Rs 35,000 crore per annum.

The plan is to build 100 smart cities in India over a pe­r­i­od of time. Smart cities are broadly defin­ed as urban spaces that are techno­lo­g­i­ca­l­ly integrated, well-planned and environ­ment-friendly.