Under PM Modi, Nitin Gadkari becomes longest-serving minister in same ministry

New Delhi: Nitin Gadkari, the union minister in charge of roads and highways, will lead his ministry for an unprecedented third consecutive term. On Monday, Gadkari—who took over as the ministry's leader in 2014—was given the same department once more. As a result, he now holds the record for the longest tenure of any cabinet minister under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all while holding the same position.

Gadkari, also known as "Roadkari," "Flyover Man," or the "Highway Man of India," is acknowledged for having revolutionised the nation's road system. The national highway (NH) network has grown by 60% during his tenure, from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1.46 km through December 2023, the New Indian Express reported.

In the last ten years, under Gadkari's leadership, the length of roadways with four lanes or more has expanded by 2.5 times, from 18,387 km to 46,179 km. Under Gadkari's leadership, 22 top-notch access-controlled greenfield motorway projects are now in varying phases of construction as part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase 1.

The main goal of the Bharatmala Pariyojana's construction was to maximise the effectiveness of the nation's transportation of people and products. The development of Economic Corridors, Inter-corridor and feeder routes, National Corridors Efficiency Improvement, Border and International Connectivity Roads, Coastal and Port Connectivity Roads, and Expressways are the main elements of the Pariyojana.