'Shuruwat wahan se karo, agar woh sudhrenege nahi...': Nitin Gadkari cites reason for road accidents in India

New Delhi: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday attributed some of the road accidents to faulty project reports and stressed that companies need proper training for preparing detailed project reports for the construction of highways and other roads. The Road Transport and Highways minister said that the government is encouraging the use of new technologies. "Some DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) prepared by companies are worst and are responsible for road accidents," Gadkari, who is known for his frank views said at an event here.

He underlined the need for organising training programmes for companies preparing DPRs. "Shuruwat wahan se karo. Agar woh sudhrenege nahi, toh poora tumhara satyanash ho jayega (Beginning should be made from DPR. If the companies preparing DPRs do not improve, the problem will reoccur)," he said.

In a lighter vein, the minister said even a new Mercedes car in the hands of an unskilled driver can create problems. Gadkari emphasised on identifying reasons for the delay in the road projects as the rising cost of construction due to delay is also an important concern.

Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in a road accident on Sunday after his car hit a divider in Maharashtra's Palghar district
According to National Crime Records Bureau data, over 1.55 lakh lives were lost in road crashes across India in 2021 -- an average of 426 daily or 18 every single hour -- which is the highest death figures recorded in any calendar year so far.

While the number of deaths due to crashes reached its highest last year, the number of road accidents and persons injured has come down compared to previous years, the report of the NCRB, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, revealed.