Govt calls US magnates to invest in seaplanes

Governments' top priority is to develop its 1,300 islands and 218 lighthouses to attract tourists, said Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Highways Minister Source: PTI

The government is also promoting waterways and hopeful of getting Parliament nod on the Bill to convert 111 rivers into waterways, which is a much cheaper mode of transport

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has invited investors from the US to tap the potential of seaplanes in the country, a move that will boost the tourism sector. Promising early approvals, Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari said this is an era of innovation which could change the face of the country, be it science and technology or agriculture. “We want to encourage seaplanes. A small nation like Maldives has a fleet of 47 seaplanes but India despite vast potential has none. I urge industrialists from the US to come to India in the area. Here is the potential,” Gadkari said. Seaplanes would boost tourism and the government will facilitate all approvals, Gadkari said addressing the Global R&D Summit 2015 in New Delhi, organised by FICCI. Governments' top priority is to develop its 1,300 islands and 218 lighthouses to attract tourists, he said adding it was committed to sustainable development through environment-friendly policies. Asserting that Delhi's pollution has been catching all attention, he said “we will solve the problem of pollution due to automobile industry” in two years as massive attention is being paid to improving road designs, decongesting traffic and promoting eco-friendly fuel like ethanol. He said the government is committed to completing the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, foundation stone of which was laid by Prime Minister in a year's time instead of scheduled two-and-a-half years. The 135-km Expressway at a cost Rs.5,763 crore has been designed to ease traffic from the national capital and minimise pollution. “We are also committed to minimise road accidents as these cause losses worth Rs 55,000 crore per annum which is equivalent to 3 per cent of the GDP,” he said. In about 5 lakh accidents annually, 1.5 lakh people lose their lives in India. The government is also promoting waterways and hopeful of getting Parliament nod on the Bill to convert 111 rivers into waterways, which is a much cheaper mode of transport, he said. Gadkari said thrust was also on rail connectivity to ports and one such project of transporting coal to western coasts from Talcher via Paradip will result in annual savings to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore. The Minister said there was also need to bring innovation in agriculture and to diversify it to energy and power. “We are a rich nation with a poor population. Wrong economic policies, bad and vision less governance and corruption are responsible for these. “We need leadership for progress and development..we need innovation, entrepreneurship and technology, skill development, e-governance and this is the time for the country to take advantage of the situation. We have all types of resources available with us,” he said.

December 07, 2015 | 06:10pm IST

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Govt calls US magnates to invest in seaplanes

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