New Road Min to accord top priority to transparency in sector

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) Improving quality of roads andbringing in transparency in the functioning of Road TransportMinistry would top the agenda of C P Joshi, who joined as thenew Highways Minister today.

"Improving quality of roads, bringing accountability andtransparency and living up to the expectations of people...

These are my priorities," Joshi said after assuming charge ofhis new portfolio.

He, however, added that projects related to developingroads in the North-eastern India and Left-wing extremismaffected areas, announced by the UPA government earlier, wouldbe expedited.

"The ministry is concentrating on development of roads inNorth-East, in left-wing extremist areas. We will see thatwork on them is expedited and the targets are achieved."

While refusing to get into the details of existingpolicies, prepared under the regime of outgoing minister KamalNath, Joshi said, "I will answer all your queries after afortnight as I am trying to understand the issues before theministry now".

Asked whether building 20 km of roads a day, as announcedearlier would be met, he said the challenge before hisMinistry would be to accelerate development of the sector atpresent.

Earlier, Joshi''s predecessor Kamal Nath who has beenshifted to Urban Development, soon after taking charge in May2009 had announced that the Ministry will build 35,000 km ofroads by March 2012, which translates into 20 km a day.

The Ministry at present is building 12.5 km of roads aday.