Gadkari links bureaucrats' appraisal to road construction

NEW DELHI: Performance of engineers and officers in the highway sector will be linked to their appraisal (annual confidential report), road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari told his officials on Tuesday. The ministry has set a high target of awarding 25,000 kilometres and constructing 15,000 kilometres of roads during this financial year.
Addressing top officials of NHAI and road ministry, including their regional officers, Gadkari asked them to take up land acquisition as a priority and work with the state government officials.Sources said the ministry will fix state-wise targets to monitor the progress. Gadkari has called upon states to streamline the process of giving compensation for land acquisition.
TOI has learnt that the target set by the ministry to construct over 40 km a day would be tough to achieve. Work on many of the stretches may have started recently and it takes not less than two years to complete them.
Officials who attended the closed-door meeting on Tuesday said that the regional officers have been provided with kits detailing processes for land acquisition and other necessary manuals.