Patna, Nov 14 (IANS): Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Monday expressed appreciation for Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for putting the development of the nation first.

"Despite our difference of ideologies, Nitin Gadkari is the only leader at the Centre who works beyond politics. For him, the development of states and nation is first and other issues come secondary. If some more ministers like him comes in the Centre, developments of poor states like Bihar would take place with rapid speed," he said, in the presence of Gadkari, during the inauguration of Koilwar-Arrah-Buxar four-lane road and the foundation stone laying of a two-lane bridge on Sone river at Panduka village in Rohtas district.

The Panduka road bridge will be constructed at a cost of Rs 196 crore and its length is 1.5 km and it will directly connect NH 19 to NH 39. With this, the distance between Rohtas and Garhwa in Jharkhand will reduce by just 63 km from the present 200 km.

This bridge will also address the traffic jam of NH 19 which frequently takes place in Rohtas, Kaimur and Aurangabad districts.

During the occasion, Gadkari invited Tejashwi Yadav to come to Delhi with project proposals.

"I invite Tejashwi Yadav to come to Delhi. I assure him to sanction every project of Bihar. Our first priority is the development of Bihar. I never work on the basis of party or any particular region or state," he said.