Replying to questions from Rajat Sharma at the daylong India TV Budget Conclave here, Gadkari promised to clean up the river Ganga by 80 per cent by March 2019.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev today said that the middle class is not happy with the Union Budget 2018-19, which was presented by the Modi government on Thursday.

India TV, country’s leading Hindi news channel, hosted “Budget Conclave 2018”— a day-long event where leaders of the ruling BJP government and the Opposition brainstormed over the Union Budget 2018-19.

I hope that the Finance Minister will give more priority to agri and infrastructure investments in the forthcoming budget, Nitin Gadkari said.

Nitin Gadkari said that he had categorically turned down Navy’s demand of land for housing in south Mumbai, wondering why all their personnel here want to stay in this posh area when they should be at Pakistan border.

"Around 10,000 seaplanes would be brought into the country in the next two years. Within the next three months, rules and regulations would be put in place for (operating) seaplanes", Gadkari said

Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said the Maharashtra government should focus on transportation through seaplanes, which will "ensure speed and avoid pollution".

Master Plan for Delhi has proposed UER II, which connects National Highways 1, 10 and 8. This road was proposed to reduce traffic on the Ring Road and Outer Ring Road.

BJD spokesperson Prashant Nanda said that discussions on the matter would make sense only after the Chhattisgarh government halts construction work on the river.

Ruling out any exemption from toll collection at national highways, Union road minister Nitin Gadkari said that if people want good services they will have to pay for that.

Making a statement on methanol in Lok Sabha, Gadkari said that the final roadmap for 'Methanol Economy' being worked out by NITI Aaayog was targeting an annual reduction of $100 billion by 2030 in crude imports.

The corridor is being laid at a cost of Rs 30,358 crore and scheduled for completion by 2020.

Government's demonetisation decision a year ago led to 58 per cent growth in digital transactions and an increase in the number of tax payers, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

In his address at "World Food India 2017", Nitin Gadkari said the logistics cost in India was as high as 18 per cent compared to China where it was between 8 and 10 per cent.

In line with the govt plans to convert 111 rivers into national waterways, Gadkari said proposals are being examined for introducing seaplanes at Yamuna, Ganga and other waterbodies.

34,800 km of highways will be constructed at the cost of Rs 5.35 lakh crore under the Phase-1 of Bharatmala project.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar praised the Modi-led central government's functioning and different schemes.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said PM Modi and Amit Shah spoke to UP CM Yogi Adityanath over the violence in BHU on Saturday.

Air India's Employees Union submitted a memorandum to Nitin Gadkari and appealed that the government waive Air India's debt and allow existing management to run the company.

"Six months from now on, Modi will give a big gift to the people of Delhi by inaugurating several highways that will free the city from traffic jams and pollution," Union Minister Gadkari said.