New motor vehicles act made stricter to make people respect rules: Nitin Gadkari
Nagpur: Union Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday defended the high penalty under the new motor vehicles act, saying the idea behind it is to make people conform to rules, and asked what is more important lives or money.
Speaking during a programme in Nagpur, Gadkari tried to address the criticism of the high penalties under the new law, saying only those who were breaking the law were paying fines. "If one does not break the law, why will he need to pay a fine?"
"We are jumping red signals, accidents are happening everyday, people are losing their lives. If people will have fear of law, only then will they follow rules," he said.
"What is more important people's lives or money," Gadkari asked, when pointed out the high penalty provisions under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Earlier, he said, people did not take road safety rules seriously and used to get away by paying a small amount. This attitude won't stop until strict rules are made, the minister added.
"Now people are applying for licences, insurances and purchasing helmets and this would save lives of thousands of people," he said.
During the programme, Gadkari also spoke on various aspects of his life, his childhood, family, politics, his vision for the country. And shared is ideas on his social, innovative projects.
He said people often make fun of his innovative ideas and mock him. Citing an example, he said once he had spoken about collecting 'urine in plastic bags', which, he added, if done on a massive scale, could decrease the load of urea import on the country.
Gadkari also talked about his meeting with a person researching on "gold" coming out of cow dung and human faeces. He did not name the person.
He said a lot changes are taking place today and, "I feel more emphasis should be put on research as such things coming out of research.
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TN CM Vijay calls fuel price hike ‘unacceptable’, seeks rollback
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday slammed the increase of Rs 3 per litre in petrol and diesel prices, calling it "unacceptable", and demanded its immediate rollback, claiming the revision would affect various sections of society.
He said oil marketing companies do not reduce prices in line with global crude price trends and "take the profits".
"Union government oil marketing companies have increased the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre. This is not acceptable," Vijay said in a statement.
The hike has been effected after the "five-state polls" (four states and one union territory), he added.
This price rise will largely affect the income of the poor and middle class using two-wheelers and small vehicles, as well as others dependent on vehicles for their livelihood, the CM said.
It will ultimately result in an increase in the prices of daily commodities and also "affect the purchasing power of the poor," he added.
Citing the chain effect of the price revision, such as increased input costs for small units, he said it could lead to a "slowdown" in the market and exports.
"Therefore, I urge the union government to immediately roll back the price hike that will affect the poor and middle-class people and SMEs," Vijay added.
Global crude oil prices have surged more than 50 per cent since US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation, which disrupted energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil shipments.
Petrol and diesel prices are now at their highest level since May 2022.
