Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Jairam clears roadblock in Bihar rural projects by Ravish Tiwari

Jairam clears roadblock in Bihar rural projects by Ravish Tiwari

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Aug 31, 2011   modified Modified on Aug 31, 2011

Putting an end to the last several years of squabbling between the NDA government in Bihar and the UPA government at the Centre, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has decided to stop awarding any new work to central government’s agencies under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in the state.

“In future no further work under PMGSY will be assigned to any central agency in Bihar, except the works already assigned,” Ramesh told The Indian Express after a meeting with Bhim Singh, Minister for Rural Works Department in Bihar, in the capital on Wednesday.

The meeting came in the wake of Ramesh’s meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna last week where the latter highlighted the state’s objections against the Centre over PMGSY. Nitish has long been objecting to central agencies’ involvement in implementing PMGSY in the state.

Going a step further, Ramesh has decided to hand over 354 rural road projects already assigned to three central agencies — NBCC, NHPC, and NPCC — to state agencies right away. Unawarded projects assigned to these agencies is estimated to cost about Rs 850 crore to provide rural roads of over 1,800 km.

“The roads which have already been assigned to central agencies but not been awarded to contractors yet for taking up work will also be handed to over to state government,” Ramesh said, pointing to projects with NBCC, NHPC and NPCC.

However, about 700 km total length of 100 rural roads projects assigned to the two other central agencies, CPWD and IRCON, will not be assigned to Bihar government as these agencies have indicated they had completed the process of awarding the work and any change would delay the work.

Ramesh’s announcement is likely to remove one of the major irritants between the Centre and the Bihar government in terms of the implementation of UPA’s flagship Bharat Nirman scheme in the state.

Working on this new model of keeping central agencies out of Bihar, Ramesh indicated that the Rural Development Ministry may approve 2,177 km of roads in seven Naxal-affected districts in the state under PMGSY by middle of September. This will be implemented by state agencies.

This marks another favourable decision for Bihar given that Nitish has been complaining that state did not receive sanction of new rural roads under PMGSY since UPA-II came to power in 2009. The Rural Development Ministry has not been sanctioning fresh roads to Bihar since 2009, citing discrepancies in the Core Network finalised by the state government.

In fact, Ramesh has decided to hear Bihar’s position on the Core Network afresh. He has given the state a fortnight’s time to allay the objections of the Ministry.

“It is a good beginning. For the first time we felt that the (central) government is positively looking at the issues raised by us. We will respond to certain queries related to Core Network in next 15 days to take it to the logical conclusion,” Bhim Singh said after his meeting with Ramesh.

The Indian Express, 1 September, 2011, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jairam-clears-roadblock-in-bihar-rural-projects/839848/


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close