In addition to approving new projects for constructing roads to link populations bereft of road link under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the amount of annual allocation under the scheme to the State should be increased from `288 crore to `550 crore. The sum of `60.61 crore approved in the past for reconstruction of PMGSY roads in disaster affected areas should also be released soon. Chief minister Harish Rawat raised these demands and other issues on meeting the Union minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Birender Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The CM told Singh that so far the Government of India has approved 1125 projects costing about `2,010 crore. As on March 31, 2015, 623 works have been completed whereas work on 493 works is in progress. Rawat informed the union minister work on these projects is getting delayed due to inadequate fund allocation by the Central Government.In order to complete these projects, priority should be accorded to facilitation of the required sum of about `1,118 crore. He further said that various correctional measures had been taken by the State to speed up work like formation of a project implementation unit for PMGSY. The CM said, “We have been informed about Rs 288 crore annual allocation to Uttarakhand by the Government of India under PMGSY for 2015-16. However, considering factors like the remaining works, `550 crore will be needed.”
Rawat informed the Union minister that even now there are 748 settlements with 250 plus population for which new road projects are to be approved. The State had submitted various projects in 2014-15 to the Central Government for approval. Even in the current year, DPRs of 121 projects worth about `809 crore had been submitted to the Government of India. However, the Centre returned the DPRs stating that these can be considered only in case of increase in the allotment amount under PMGSY. It should be considered seriously that not a single project has been approved tilldate since February 2014 even though official formalities like forest approval and land transfer have been completed, said the CM.
Rawat reminded Singh that after the 2013 disaster, the Government of India had accorded its approval of `61.60 crore for reconstruction of disaster damaged roads under PMGSY. On the request of the State Government, it had been agreed to in principle that this amount would be in addition to the general allocation to the State under PMGSY. The Central Government should allocate this amount as early as possible, Rawat stressed.
Responding to the CM, the Union Minister assured Rawat that necessary measures would be taken to resolve the various issues.