Today I learnt something good about the previous Indian government. Our ex-Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, had a vision about improving the infrastructure of the country. He proposed the construction of an extensive four-lane highway called the Golden Quadrilateral. It would connect the four metros, New Delhi in the North, Mumbai in the West, Chennai in the South and Kolkata in the East. Phase two would be a North-South and East-West Highway, completing the connectivity of the four metros. Phase three would connect all cities in each state to the nearest metro. Phase four would connect all rural areas to the nearest city.
It’s about time somebody had the vision of improving the country’s road system. The main issue would be funding for this project, which is touted to be the biggest in the world currently. Again, Vajpayee had a stroke of genius. He levied a tax on fuel: Re.1 per liter of petrol and diesel. This guaranteed a constant flow of income to the project. I am impressed with the foresight of this man, who I always held in low regard until now, because of all the communal violence that he appears to condone or even inculcate.
The project has brought our country’s economy to a new boom. Core industries have been given a shot in the arm. Steel, construction, road machinery and numerous other industries have been given a lease of life. Employment is on the rise; money is flowing and will continue to do so. The new highways should result in better traffic regulation, better fuel economy, higher capacity trucks and reduced travel times. The project is expected to rapidly pay off the capital investment.
Kudos to the country’s leaders who had the foresight to sanction such a project, and I hope that the project will be guided to completion by the present government as well as the next ones to come. I look forward to the day when I can drive my own car and see all that this wonderful country has to offer, instead of planning 60 days in advance for want of railway tickets. My dream of an enjoyable road trip from Manali to Trivandrum, and from the Konkan to the Sunderbans may become a reality after all!
3 comments:
Hey Blooper,
I just realized something, your life is a smorgasbord of mundane and humdrum experiences. Although your use of verbose language rivals that of my own, especially for a Bangalore native such as myself. I would not dare waste the precious key strokes and priceless seconds of time on such dullness. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe your life is profoundly glamorous and awe-inspiring, but on paper, it parallels a man with vision reading Braille. Please do all of us a favor and buy a PlayStation 2.
Glad to know you patiently read through the complete blog and then responded to the last one. I'll go buy myself a Playstation 2 if you promise to send me the latest NFL 2k4.
Why does it make you glad that someone "patiently read through the complete blog and then responded to the last one"? Would a person that responded to a blog in the middle make you sad? :) A blog is an avenue to keep an online journal. It is not something thats primary goal is to provide news, entertainment or intellectual stimulation, though such results are welcome. It is an interesting insight into your psychology that an anonymous comment effectively stopped you blogging. Will another anonymous comment restart it? I wait and see.
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