Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of six road projects worth ₹3,700 crore in Bihar on Thursday

Gadkari appealed to the state government: “Tum mujhe atikraman mukta zameen do, main sadak doonga (give me encroachment-free land, I will give you roads).”

He also asserted that there was “no scarcity of funds in the country, but there was a dearth of people who can work honestly for the country.”

Gadkari was at Bodh Gaya in Bihar to dedicate the road projects to the people. He also inaugurated the two-day 22nd annual conference of the Economic Association of Bihar, held in collaboration with the Indian Economic Association.

The Union minister also visited the Vishnupad Temple and the Unesco world heritage Mahabodhi Temple, and addressed a programme organised by the Mahabodhi Charitable Trust during his visit.

The projects that the Union minister inaugurated during his visit includes a 51km stretch of four-lane road from Hasanpur to Bakhtiyarpur on Bakhtiyarpur–Rajauli national highway 20. The section has been built at a cost of ₹3046 crore.

Union minister of micro, small and medium enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi, Bihar deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and several other leaders were present on the occasion.

“We have no scarcity of money for roads. You will get tired of asking for it, but we will not get tired of giving. We have got an opportunity to make Bihar a prosperous state at the national level and we will fulfill it. We are going to complete road projects worth ₹5 lakh crore during my tenure as the Union minister,” Gadkari said.

The Union minister asked the people on the occasion to stay away from casteism and also asserted that the world needed to follow the path shown by the Buddha.

Gadkari also pointed out that lakhs of crores of rupees would be spent on integrating Bihar and Bodh Gaya with the Buddhist circuit being developed in the country.