Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari took charge of his assigned ministry here on Tuesday. In the previous government, too, he held the same portfolio in addition to Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. On Tuesday, Gadkari also assumed charge of the Ministry for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
“The most important work to be done is boosting economic development of the country by employment generation and the MSME is a core ministry which can create jobs in rural, semi-urban and urban areas of the country,” Gadkari said after assuming charge..
Import substitution is the need of the hour and the SME industries of the country can contribute hugely to the products that need to be manufactured domestically in order to restrict imports, he added.
Gadkari has been a member of the Lok Sabha since May 2014. He was earlier a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council during 1989-2014. He was Minister for PWD in the Maharashtra government during 1995 to 1999.
Union Minister for State of MSME, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, also took charge in the Ministry along with Nitin Gadkari.