<p>Nitin Gadkari, who enjoys the reputation of the ‘doer’ within the government, is learnt to have been offered the defence ministry by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.<br /><br />However, the 60-year-old minister was reluctant to relinquish the Transport Ministry, where he has fast-tracked a number of project in cold storage for a long time.<br /><br />Gadkari reportedly told the PM that he would like to see those projects come to fruition. It was decided then that he should be given the levers of the slow moving 'Namami Gange' project and the Water Resources Ministry as additional responsibilities.<br /><br />As Water Resource Minister, Gadkari would be the go-to man for river disputes. Karnataka has a long-pending dispute over sharing of waters in Cauvery river with Tamil Nadu and Mahadei river with Goa.<br /><br />Gadkari, who succeeds Uma Bharti at the ministry, said he would take forward his predecessor’s work and combine it with his task of developing inland waterways.<br /><br />With a target of cleaning Ganga in 2018, the Modi government has approved 160 projects worth Rs 12,500 crore under the Namami Gange Mission.<br /><br />Gadkari’s initiatives in developing inland waterways would have also worked in his favour in getting the additional responsibility.<br /><br />Inter-linking of rivers has also been on the top of the Prime Minister’s priorities. Madhya Pradesh has been working with Water Resources Ministry and the Uttar Pradesh to link the Ken-Betwa rivers.<br /><br />Like in the road ministry, Gadkari is expected to use his skills as the ‘go-getter’ to clear the obstacles and speedily implement the Modi government’s showpiece projects.</p>
<p>Nitin Gadkari, who enjoys the reputation of the ‘doer’ within the government, is learnt to have been offered the defence ministry by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.<br /><br />However, the 60-year-old minister was reluctant to relinquish the Transport Ministry, where he has fast-tracked a number of project in cold storage for a long time.<br /><br />Gadkari reportedly told the PM that he would like to see those projects come to fruition. It was decided then that he should be given the levers of the slow moving 'Namami Gange' project and the Water Resources Ministry as additional responsibilities.<br /><br />As Water Resource Minister, Gadkari would be the go-to man for river disputes. Karnataka has a long-pending dispute over sharing of waters in Cauvery river with Tamil Nadu and Mahadei river with Goa.<br /><br />Gadkari, who succeeds Uma Bharti at the ministry, said he would take forward his predecessor’s work and combine it with his task of developing inland waterways.<br /><br />With a target of cleaning Ganga in 2018, the Modi government has approved 160 projects worth Rs 12,500 crore under the Namami Gange Mission.<br /><br />Gadkari’s initiatives in developing inland waterways would have also worked in his favour in getting the additional responsibility.<br /><br />Inter-linking of rivers has also been on the top of the Prime Minister’s priorities. Madhya Pradesh has been working with Water Resources Ministry and the Uttar Pradesh to link the Ken-Betwa rivers.<br /><br />Like in the road ministry, Gadkari is expected to use his skills as the ‘go-getter’ to clear the obstacles and speedily implement the Modi government’s showpiece projects.</p>
