Kamal Nath says transport regulations will be overhauled

September 1st, 2009 LONDON - National highways in India will be renumbered so that they reflect a scientific pattern, Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath said here Tuesday. Today is the 100th day of my government in India, so I can announce it: we are renumbering our national highways, Kamal Nath told reporters.

August 18th, 2009 LONDON - Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath brings his 'roadshow' to Britain Sep 1 to attract British investment into India, which he says will build more roads than any other country over the next two years. Kamal Nath will spend two days in London Sep 1-2 talking to business leaders, bankers and investors, telling them there is money to be made investing in India's roads in the current financial climate.

August 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath said on Friday that the country has enough foodgrain reserves even in the worst monsoon situation. Nath, however, expressed his concern over the adverse impact of poor monsoon on agricultural activity.

July 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government will spend Rs.1 lakh crore (Rs.1,000 billion/$21 billion) this fiscal and an equal amount in subsequent years with a target of building 20 km of road every day, Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Kamal Nath said Thursday. "This year we will build more road kilometres than what was done between 1999-2004.

July 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday said that roads would play an important role in infrastructure development in the next decade. During a seminar at Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI), Kamal Nath said that roads are important as they provide domestic economic stimulus.

July 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Funding will not be a problem as India gets ready to execute over 150 projects worth some $70 billion to spruce up its network of highways and roads in the next three years, said Road, Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath here Wednesday. The minister, who is personally overseeing all road shows to attract money for one of the country's largest public-private initiatives on roads and highways, said speedy development of this infrastructure was a priority for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday said that the Cente has plans to set up an organization to develop and manage expressways in the country. "We are looking at setting up an Expressway Authority in the same line with NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) but distinct with the specifics with only building expressways.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Acquisition of land remains the biggest challenge in road projects development, Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath said here Tuesday. "When I look at the challenges ahead I feel that today land acquisition remains the biggest challenge for road construction," Kamal Nath said while addressing a conclave on highways development.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A separate authority will be constituted soon for expediting development of expressways, Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath said here Tuesday. I am examining the possibility of setting up an expressway authority, Kamal Nath said at a conclave on national highways.

July 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Transport Minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday that the government wants foreign investors to fund as much as half of the 20 billion dollars, which it has earmarked for road building in a year. Kamal Nath said he has plans to meet with investors from Europe, the United States and Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore, in the next two or three months to discuss which financing platforms would be most effective.

July 4th, 2009 LONDON - British Business Secretary Peter Mandelson says former commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath was a great negotiator but wouldn't budge on opening up the Indian market. In his first public comments since the formation of the new Indian government in May, Mandelson said Friday that negotiating with major economies such as India in world trade talks was one of his main mandates as the European Union's Trade Commissioner.

May 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The decision to shift Kamal Nath out of the commerce ministry to be given charge of the road transport and highways portfolio was Thursday seen by India Inc as the most unexpected development in the allocation of portfolios by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Kamal Nath, who was the voice of India at multilateral trade talks and often criticised by rich nations for being over-protective of developing countries, was replaced by Anand Sharma, who was earlier minister of state for information and broadcasting.

May 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress leader Kamal Nath unwittingly injected humour into the sombre swearing-in ceremony of the new government Friday when he began to take his oath before President Pratibha Patil could prompt him, and then started walking off without signing the register. Perhaps a little too eager to be sworn in as minister, Kamal Nath walked up and said in Hindi 'Main Kamal Nath' much to the amusement of the gathering at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

February 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government has rationalised the foreign investment norms as there is a tightening in the global markets, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said here Thursday. 'Government has rationalised calculation of FDI (foreign direct investment).

January 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A 'disciplined' private sector and an 'aspiring' middle class are the engines of India's economic growth, and will help the country weather the tumultuous times, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said Saturday. 'India's aspiring middle class has demonstrated surprising resilience in counterbalancing the global credit crisis and slump in the global export economy of which India is a key player,' the minister said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.