Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during a visit to review project details of the proposed four-lane underground road from Shaniwarwada to Swargate, at the Kaka Saheb Gadgil statue and the main entrance of Shaniwarwada, in Pune, Monday, June 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: 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” to execute big projects.
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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.
Published – June 24, 2025 11:35 am IST
