NEW DELHI: Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday honoured dozens of workers, including manual miners and welders, engineers, officials and NDRF personnel who worked non-stop to rescue the 42 workers stranded in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand.
Speaking at the annual Highway Excellence Awards function where the rescuers were felicitated, Gadkari said, “These people rescued the workers showing their strong will power and hard work. I salute such heroes…We have honoured people who saved lives and these are the people who are in the field.”
In a sarcastic observation, the minister said the highway agencies should also “honour” those officers who are responsible for disputes in projects and hefty arbitration awards. “They are responsible for the authorities losing Rs 1,000-1,500 crore in the form of paying arbitration awards. But they don’t stop there. They go to a new place to create the same problem and the same mistake,” he said.
Gadkari also suggested that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should have its own cadre.
Speaking at the annual Highway Excellence Awards function where the rescuers were felicitated, Gadkari said, “These people rescued the workers showing their strong will power and hard work. I salute such heroes…We have honoured people who saved lives and these are the people who are in the field.”
In a sarcastic observation, the minister said the highway agencies should also “honour” those officers who are responsible for disputes in projects and hefty arbitration awards. “They are responsible for the authorities losing Rs 1,000-1,500 crore in the form of paying arbitration awards. But they don’t stop there. They go to a new place to create the same problem and the same mistake,” he said.
Gadkari also suggested that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should have its own cadre.
