Tug of war over inauguration of roads under PMGSY and other schemes of rural development continued as the State Government has requested the Centre to reconsider its advisory sent on October 25.
Spokesperson of the State Government and Principal Secretary of Personnel Department Nidhi Khare on Thursday clarified that since the Centre and State share the expenditure coming on PMGSY, the Chief Minister is entitled for the inauguration.
“Earlier till 2015-16, the Centre contributed 100 per cent cost coming on PMGSY roads which has been reduced to 60 per cent and the rest 40 per cent is borne by the State. Besides, the State also takes care if the estimated cost escalates under any circumstances and also bears the cost coming on the maintenance of the roads. In this, both the advisories need to be relooked,” Khare said, adding that the Centre in its letter has not stopped the Chief Minister from doing so.
The Rural Development Ministry had written to the State stressing on the presence of MPs and local representatives at the inauguration ceremony specifically mentioning about Friday’s programmes proposed at Giridih where Chief Minister Raghubar Das is slated to remain present.
The State Government also maintained that the Chief Minister on Friday at Giridih would be inaugurating online 666 rural roads and 63 bridges costing Rs 1,070 crore and located in different constituencies and concerned MPs, MlAs and heads of Zila Parisad were invited to remain present on the occasion. Some of the projects getting inaugurated on the occasion are other than PMGSY as well.
Terming the Friday’s feat historic, Khare stated that works in 22 districts over 662 rural roads of 2,154 kms length comprising 63 bridges would kick start. Also, 554 roads and 70 bridges which previously kept hanging in the want of inauguration would be presented to the people at one go.