Amid concerns raised by automakers over strict emission norms, Gadkari will meet heads of over 30 top car makers, including BMW, Honda and Volkswagen, tomorrow.
The meeting is convened close on heels of the government announcing moving directly from BS IV emission norms for petrol and diesel to BS VI norms, in a major step to curb vehicular pollution.
"The Road Transport and Highways Minister would address the Industry (automobile) heads to exhort them to support Make in India programme. The meeting tomorrow is likely to be attended by more than 30 heads of Automobile Manufacturing Industries in India," an official told PTI.
Sources said the minister would urge automakers to manufacture BS VI compliant vehicles and also appeal them develop homegrown technologies to build environment-friendly car engines under the 'Make in India' drive.
Refusing to budge under any pressure from the auto industry on stricter fuel emission norms, Gadkari has already made it clear to them that they must follow the same standards in India that they do elsewhere.
"I do not agree with SIAM. When the same car manufacturers can build cars following the same norms across the globe, then why can't they build it here? The government is not reconsidering its decision," he had said earlier this week.
The government on January 6 had announced its decision to advance the date by four years to April 1, 2020, for implementing Bharat Stage VI (equivalent to Euro VI norms followed globally) for supply of cleaner auto fuel, by altogether skipping the Euro V grade norms.
Gadkari has said pollution is a major concern in the country and automobile manufacturers should come forward to help in curbing it by making BS VI-compliant vehicles.
His statement assumes significance as automobile industry body SIAM has been opposing the skipping of BS V norms to jump to BS VI.
"For developing of vehicles you have to make the Euro V technology first establish over a period of time and then move to Euro VI. That's what technology providers have been saying," SIAM has said.
"That's how it has been done everywhere. In Europe, they did not skip directly to Euro VI. They have gone from Euro V to Euro VI. We will be going for the first time if at all we go," SIAM Deputy Director General Sugato Sen has said.
The meeting is being held as a part of 'Road Safety Week launched by the Ministry. The theme for this year is 'Time for Action'.
"The meeting reflects the commitment of the Ministry as well the Industry towards the Road Safety for which India has committed to reduce fatalities by 50 per cent in next five years," the official said.
India accounts for a high number of 5 lakh road accidents per annum in which 1.5 lakh people die and another 3 lakh are crippled for life.
(REOPENS BOM8)
Maharashtra has 22,000 km of the overall 1.70 lakh km of National Highways, Gadkari said, announcing a plan to upgrade the Dehu-Pandharpur and Alandi-Pandharpur roads to four-lane concrete roads.
It can be noted that Pandharpur in Solapur district in western Maharashtra is an important centre of pilgrimage and Gadkari said the roads will also help the warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal) who converge in the town every monsoon.
The minister announced that work on the over 320 km Vadodara-Mumbai express highway, which will be constructed at a cost of over Rs 42,000 crore, will commence from January 1 next year.
He said the total investment in road infrastructure in Maharashtra will exceed his previously announced target of Rs 2 trillion during the NDA rule, and can go up to Rs 3 trillion.
Gadkari said there is a potential to have at least 500 'bus-ports' (having same modern facilities as those available at airports) in Maharashtra alone, and suggested an equal joint venture between the Centre and the State Government as one of the ways of working on this project.
