New Delhi, Aug 4: The country has more than 21 crore two-wheelers and over 7 crore four-wheelers and above category of vehicles registered, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari said out of the total vehicles, 5,44,643 are electric two-wheelers while 54,252 are electric four-wheelers and above, as per the centralised data base -- VAHAN -- as on August 3, 2022.

Data further revealed that there were 2,95,245 two-wheelers and 18,47,539 four-wheeler and above category of vehicles with fuel types of CNG, ethanol, fuel cell hydrogen, LNG, LPG, solar, methanol etc.

Replying to a separate question, he said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways. National Highways are generally maintained in traffic-worthy condition.

During the rainy season, damages sometimes occur to National Highways in few places due to flooding, landslides, heavy downpour etc. But the restoration works are promptly carried out and traffic restored to normal, he added.

The minister noted that development and upgradation of National Highways is a continuous process.

He said MoRTH has been taking up projects such as the construction of expressways, capacity upgradation of existing National Highways, rehabilitation and reconstruction of existing pavements, rehabilitation and reconstruction of existing bridges and structures and construction of Road Over Bridges (RoBs) on existing National Highways depending upon traffic demand.

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New Delhi (PTI): Yoga guru Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved managing director Balkrishna on Tuesday told the Supreme Court they are willing to tender a public apology in the misleading advertisements case.

"I am willing to give a public apology," senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Balkrishna, told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah.

The apex court asked Ramdev and Balkrishna, both of whom were present in the court, to come forward for an interaction with the bench.

"They should feel they have a connect with the court," the bench said.

The hearing in the matter is underway and the bench is currently interacting with Ramdev.

Ramdev and Balkrishna have tendered an "unconditional and unqualified apology" before the apex court over advertisements issued by the firm making tall claims about the medicinal efficacy of its products.

In two separate affidavits filed in the court, Ramdev and Balkrishna have tendered an unqualified apology for the "breach of the statement" recorded in the November 21 last year order of the apex court.

In the November 21, 2023 order, the top court had noted that counsel representing Patanjali Ayurved had assured it that "henceforth there shall not be any violation of any law(s), especially relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it and, further, that no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form".

The top court had said Patanjali Ayurved Ltd is "bound down to such assurance".

The non-observance of the specific assurance and the subsequent media statements irked the apex court, which later issued a notice to them to explain why contempt proceedings be not initiated against them.