Vinod Bhat
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari emphasised distribution of work and decentralization of power for achieving success in all endeavours . Addressing the “National Highways Excellence Awards (NHEA)” program for the 2022 award cycle with the theme of “Excellence in Project Management and Road Safety” yesterday he reiterated the incredible pace of construction of roads, tunnels, bridges as a matter of pride for all citizens.
Shri Gadkari said development of road infrastructure is a result of collective team spirit. He said efforts should be focussed on reducing cost and increasing quality of construction . He said we should contribute towards protection and preservation of ecology and environment.
The Union Minister congratulated the contractors, DPR consultants, engineers, and chief engineers who were awarded for their work excellence in road safety, saving lives and building the nation.
Shri Gadkari spoke of the challenges before the industry which include the increasing number of black spots, pollution due to roadway sector, confusing road signages among others. He urged caution, and advised due diligence on the part of all stakeholders.
Minister of State General(Rtd.)Dr V K Singh thanked the jury for their tireless efforts, and congratulated the winners of the prestigious awards. He voiced his optimism that road signages would soon be adopted to such an extent that road accidents would lower.
Secretary Shri Anurag Jain emphasized that engineers as well as all stakeholders need to shoulder responsibility in processes such as the identification of black spots and their rectification. He insisted on quality in construction, and the completion of projects on time.
With a view to strengthening and augmenting the road infrastructure in the country, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) initiated the “National Highways Excellence Awards (NHEA)” in 2018 to incentivize stakeholders in the highway construction and maintenance process and to create a spirit of healthy competitiveness amongst them.
Top officials of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways( MoRTH), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and other stakeholders were present on the occasion. A large number of participants including concessionaires, developers, contractors, academicians and representatives of NGOs were present.
Panel discussions were organized which were chaired by senior officials and sector experts. During the ceremony, awards were presented to the concessionaire/contractors who displayed exceptional work in project management, operations & maintenance, highway safety, green highways, and outstanding work in challenging conditions and innovation.
