Project 'varmala'

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari is gung-ho about the recent approval to the Rs 7-lakh crore Bharatmala scheme, which aims to boost road connectivity between the western and eastern parts of the country. The highway connectivity scheme has been drawn up along the lines of the Sagar Mala project that envisages port connectivity among maritime states. The nomenclature for the two projects draws from the idea of a mala (garland), as the locations they intend to cover appear in the form of a necklace on a drawing board. The minister said while people often confuse one project with the other, they are different, but together they could form a “varmala” (a garland exchanged by a bride and a groom at their wedding) for the country.