NEW DELHI: Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has informed that he has asked his ministry officials to work on a proposal to provide approval to small Dhaba owners to build petrol pumps and toilets along the highways.

Gadkari further said the government officials should take quick decisions as many projects are delayed due to delays in the decision-making process.  the minister said, "somebody sent me an SMS in which he wrote that he is travelling and there is not a single toilet in the 200-300 Km stretch of road. "People are encroaching roadside lands and opening Dhabas. In the morning, I told the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways officials, the way NHAI gives NOC for petrol pumps, the same way we should also consider giving authorised approval to small Dhaba owners to build petrol pumps and toilets along the highways.".

Gadkari said that due to constant persuasion and follow up by his ministry, land acquisition processes for the construction of roads have been expedited. "We have also increased the amount of compensation for land acquisition for construction of roads," he said. Meanwhile, batting for green hydrogen as a transport fuel, Gadkari said there is a need to make India a country that will not be dependent on imports of petrol and diesel. "Green hydrogen is better than petrol and diesel. The transport sector is witnessing a big change. "We want to make a country which will not be dependent upon the import of petrol and diesel but will export fuel," the road transport and highways minister said.

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