Guwahati: Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, has suggested the establishment of an Innovation Bank to fund innovative ideas, research discoveries, and technologies that focus on 'Quality' in infrastructure development.

In virtual addressing the inaugural function of the 222nd Mid-Term Council Meeting of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), he stated that fresh efforts are anticipated from IRC, and that innovation should be the key area for all Engineers.

He stated that IRC should create a world-class state-of-the-art laboratory with the assistance of IITs and global institutions throughout the world.

According to Gadkari, infrastructure development is critical to realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's objective of making India a $5 trillion economy, and road infrastructure is directly tied to the region's success. According to him, road infrastructure connects people, culture, and society while also bringing wealth through socioeconomic growth.

The minister said, the length of National Highways has increased by more than 50% in the previous eight years, from 91,000 km in 2014 to over 1.47 lakh km currently. He stated that our administration is committed to building the National Highway network to 2 lakh kilometres by 2025. In the previous eight years, our team has set several world records, he added.

According to Gadkari, the government is deeply dedicated to the development of the North East area. He stated that NHIDCL is critical to the development of infrastructure in this region. The region's portion in the National Highway System is 10%. He stated that a total of 2344 kilometres of highway had been built at a cost of Rs. 45,000 crore.

The minister said, we are ready to use the world's best and most successful building technology and materials. He stated that the two most significant driving reasons for us are the utilisation of proven technology and the reduction of construction costs. We must minimise building costs while retaining quality, he continued.

Shri Gadkari stated that during the development and operating phases, there should be minimal carbon footprints and exploitation of limited natural resources. He stated that progress at the expense of ecology and the environment is unacceptable to him. He stated that a sustainable substitute for steel and cement should be discovered.

The Minister stated that road safety is a top concern for the government. We need to include good worldwide road engineering methods and principles into the specification, he continued.