<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari today underlined the importance of better road infrastructure in the country, which will help boost tourism and generate employment.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> </p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Speaking after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for 12 National Highway projects in Kerala worth 1464 crore rupees through video conferencing, Mr Gadkari observed that the various projects under implementation and the ones proposed to be taken up will transform the state's landscape.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> </p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">He noted that besides tourism, better roads will aid in socio-economic transformation and facilitate several other commercial activities.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> </p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Noting that acquisition of land is a major hurdle, for which the Kerala government is extending all assistance, he said the progress of the Mumbai-Kanyakumari corridor, 644 km of which passes through Kerala, has been only 10 percent.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> </p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Among the projects dedicated today include the upgradation of the Bodimettu-Munnar National Highway, a bridge over Cheruthoni river badly affected during floods and the widening of NH 966, benefitting the districts of Palakkad, Malappuram and Kozhikode.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> </p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, State Public Works Minister Muhammed Riyas were among those who attended the event.</span></p>