Abrupt bans on diesel cars to create socioeconomic problems: Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI: Abrupt bans on diesel cars were not a panacea for pollution and would only create socioeconomic problems, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. “You can’t ban vehicles one fine day. If you have bought a taxi on EMI, how are you going to repay the loan? It would create socio-economic problems. Bans are no solution.

These things have to be discussed with stakeholders before such bans are implemented,” he said. In an interview with ET, Gadkari said the government would introduce BS-VI emission norms by April 2020 for petrol and diesel while standards for use of green fuel such as ethanol and biodiesel have already been notified.

“For Delhi, we are working on a decongestion plan as a part of which we are building elevated corridors and ring roads at the cost of Rs 30,000 crore,” he said.

Also read: Target is to create 4 crore jobs by wooing Rs 25 lakh-crore investments: Nitin Gadkari

Gadkari, reckoned to be one of best-performing ministers in the current Cabinet, claimed that the road and shipping sector would attract investment amounting to Rs 25 lakh crore, provide jobs to over four crore people and increase India's GDP by 3% by the time the NDA government ended its term in 2019.

“What Congress did not do in 50 years, we’ll do in these five years,” Gadkari said adding that hopes from this government were high. He disclaimed interest in any other portfolio, pointing out that surface transport was a department he had sought.