PM for ‘supreme restraint’ by US
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee expressed serious concern over escalating tension between the US and Iraq and called for "supreme restraint" from the superpower asserting that India is in favour of resolution of the crisis through talks held under the aegis of the United Nations.

Without directly naming the United States, but clearly indicating that India does not support warfare in the region, Mr Vajpayee said, "We are in favour of resolution of the conflict through talks held under the banner of the UN. I am not too sure what the superpower will do. But being a supreme power calls for supreme restraint. There are several countries in Europe and even the people of Iraq who do not want war," Mr Vajpayee said.

Mr Vajpayee was speaking at the function held to dedicate phase one of the National Expressway-1 between Ahmedabad and Nadiad to the nation, which forms the part of the Golden Quadrilateral envisaged to connect the four major metros of the country. Mr Vajpayee said the prices of oil have already escalated due to the indication of war and there is a big risk of the economy getting disrupted due to the crisis. Mr Vajpayee said the country imports fuel worth Rs 90,000 crores and majority of the fuel comes in from the gulf countries.

Inaugurating the expressway through a remote control, Mr Vajpayee said speed is of immense value and good roads are crucial for development of the country. Mr Vajpayee said bad roads amount to consumption of more fuel.

Mr Vajpayee said roads are the arteries of the nation and it is Centre’s endeavour to construct roads connecting Kanyakumari to Srinagar. He said it is unfortunate that the construction of the roads was not considered seriously in the last 50 years.

The Prime Minister said the construction of the one of the four national expressways will result in saving fuel worth Rs 8,000 crores annually.

However, while emphasising on speed Mr Vajpayee said it is necessary to pay the price for speed and the toll tax for using the highway should be paid.

He said the country is attempting various alternatives to petrol and has made anethol and even bio-diesel is being considered as an option. Oil is being explored in the country and there can be no progress in darkness and to avoid darkness petrol is necessary.

Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani said it is unfortunate that the country that was supposed to be a global leader has not been able to develop at a quick pace and all elections except those in 1998 and 1999 were fought on some political agenda and not on development. "The BJP has taken upon to transform the swaraj to surajya (democracy to good governance) and has focussed on the two virtues of progress namely security and development to attain its goals," he said.

Mr Advani said besides the Golden Quadrilateral project, the project to interlink major rivers of the country will usher in faster development. "We intend to create a web of roads in the country that even links the rural roads to develop the country," he said.

Earlier, chief minister Narendra Modi quoted US president John F. Kennedy who had said "it is not our wealth that created the roads but the roads that have created wealth in the country". Emphasising on infrastructure development and privatisation of ports in the country, Mr Modi sought changes in the Vajpayee Gram Sadak Yojana to get central assistance to upgrade rural roads in the state. He expressed Mr Vajpayee’s gratitude for his efforts to raise the dam height of the Narmada and the crude oil royalty issues of the state.

Republished from The Asian Age