Over 30 per cent road projects in Naxal-hit areas are ailing because of law and order issues. Of the 208 projects worth Rs 7,973 crore underway in eight States across India affected by Naxalism and left-wing extremism, at least 32 are still awaiting completion.
In 2009, the UPA Government had approved a scheme for development of 1,202 km of National Highways and 4,363 km of State roads in “left-wing extremism affected areas of 34 districts in eight States” in three years but the progress has been dismally slow.
“Delays in works are attributed primarily to law and order problem in lWE affected areas, and other issues like land acquisition, shifting of utilities, environmental and forest clearance, poor performance of contractors,” Sathyanarayana, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), told the lok Sabha a couple of days back.
With Chhattisgarh leading the order with the most number of delayed projects (26), Maharashtra follows next with 15 delays, followed by Odisha (11). About nine projects are awaiting completion in Jharkhand, followed by Bihar (6), Andhra Pradesh (3), and one project each in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Violence and civilian attacks is rampant in these States - with Jharkhand accounting for the maximum number of left Wing Extremist deaths (151 incidents/61 deaths), followed by Chhattisgarh (94 incidents/25 deaths), Bihar (75 incidents/19 deaths), Maharashtra (29 incidents/ five deaths), Odisha (28 incidents/ six deaths) and Andhra Pradesh (12 incidents/ four deaths), in 2013 alone.
To remove hurdles in finishing of delayed projects Ministry of Roads has requested State Governments to constitute district level coordination committee headed by the District Magistrate. The committee also includes the district superintendent of police, Central Armed Forces, State PWD and contractors to plan and proceed with projects in area domination by Armed Forces held up due to law and order problems.
last year, former MoRTH Minister CP Joshi had also sought the intervention of the Home Ministry for deployment of security forces in areas of naxal-hit States where special projects sanctioned by Government are stalled due to severe law and order issues.
The Central Government had also notified relaxation requiring general approval under Section-2 of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land for construction/development of roads involving not more than 5.00 hectares of forest land in each case in lWE affected areas.
The qualification criteria of the contractors had also been relaxed by the MoRTH earlier in December 2012 to encourage larger participation of local contractors for left Wing Extremist area works where there is no response, despite repeated calls. Clubbing and splitting of works had been permitted, where there was no response to tenders. The works under Rural Roads Projects-Phase I is likely to be completed by March 2015.