No smooth ride

There is still no let up in the war of silence playing out between NHAI Chairman N Gokulram and Minister for Shipping, Road Transport 038; Highways T R Baalu. With Gokulram strongly feeling that the Ministry is bent on interfering in the 8220;autonomous8221; NHAI, he has begun to keep a distance from even Road and Transport Secretary Brahm Dutt despite both of them being from the Karnataka cadre. When Dutt sought to break the ice and invited Gokulram to join him for a cup of coffee, the NHAI chairman quietly demurred. Incidentally, it was Dutt8217;s recommendation that got Gokulram the NHAI post.