Mumbai: Union Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari, while addressing a program on National Highways, Transport and Investment in Mumbai, reminded his audience that how because of him, the government had saved Rs 2,000 crore by canceling the tender of Rs 3,600 crore, back in 1995.
"In today's meeting, I would like to recall 1995 when I was the Minister of State. At that time, I had canceled the Reliance Company tender for the work of Mumbai-Pune Expressway. I didn't think of anyone while doing that. Dhirubhai Ambani had gotten very angry at me because of this move. Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and the late leader Balasaheb Thackeray were also angry with me. When they asked me why I did that, I told them that we would raise money from the people for this scheme and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Everyone was laughing at me back then. And the Chief Minister Manohar Joshi had also asked me to be the man of my words," he said.
He further explained that in 1995, Reliance had tendered Rs 3,600 crore for the project, but he canceled the tender and completed the work at a cost of Rs. 1600 crore through MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation). He further clarified that he was the founding president of MSRDC at the time. "We saved the government Rs 2,000 crore. When the state government monetized the scheme, we got Rs 3,000 crore. A year and a half ago, when we were once again awarded the tender for this work, the Maharashtra government got Rs 8,000 crore," he said.
He also highlighted that at that time, they were going to the investors, but now the investors are coming to them, and reassured that investors have no reason to worry. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is often credited for his work during the coalition government in the state in 1995. The roads and flyovers built by his department are always discussed. He was often applauded by even his opponents, including late Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray.
