Gandhinagar, July 9 (IANS) Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday reviewed the progress of various National Highway projects under implementation across the state during a meeting in Gandhinagar.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of Gadkari’s visit to Gujarat, where he inaugurated ‘Prawas 5.0’, the multimodal transport show organised by the Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI).

Sharing details of the meeting on social media platform X, Chief Minister Patel said: “Reviewed the progress of various National Highway projects being implemented in Gujarat during a meeting with the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in Gandhinagar.”

While no further details of the projects discussed were officially disclosed, the review focused on the implementation and progress of National Highway works being undertaken across Gujarat.

The meeting comes as the Centre continues to expand road infrastructure in the state through new highway construction, widening of existing corridors, expressway connectivity and improvements aimed at enhancing freight movement and reducing travel time.

Gujarat is home to several strategically important National Highway corridors that connect major industrial centres, ports and border districts.

Earlier in the day, Gadkari inaugurated Prawas 5.0 and reiterated the Centre’s focus on developing a cleaner, safer and technologically advanced transport system.

“Infrastructure development remained central to India’s economic growth, linking improved transport networks with industrial expansion, trade, employment generation and poverty reduction,” he said.

The Union minister also highlighted the government’s emphasis on reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels by promoting alternative fuels such as ethanol, methanol, bio-diesel, LNG, electricity and hydrogen.

He announced that the ministry is conducting hydrogen mobility pilot projects on 10 routes across the country, including the Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat corridor in Gujarat.

Speaking at the event, Gadkari said: “Road safety remained the government’s highest priority, noting that around five lakh road accidents occur annually in India, resulting in approximately 1.8 lakh deaths.”

He added, “Efforts were being made to improve road engineering, enhance the quality of highways and eliminate accident-prone black spots in coordination with state governments.”

The review meeting between Gadkari and Patel follows continued cooperation between the Union and Gujarat governments on highway expansion and transport infrastructure projects, with periodic assessments conducted to monitor progress and facilitate timely execution.

–IANS

mys/dan