Two months after seeking a CBI probe into complaints of misappropriation of funds under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), sanctioned for construction of roads in some of the village areas in Sultanpur district, the Union Rural Development Ministry has now found fault within the quality of construction of several roads in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh.
Ministry officials who had inspected roads in the Bahraich district last month found absence/shoddy maintenance of almost all the stretches by the contractors either due to apathy or shortage of funds. In some cases, adequate money was not released.
The funds for the scheme are provided and monitored by the Central Government, but the State Government plays a role in the implementation of the PMGSY scheme.
The roads that were inspected by the team included 14.10-km Marocha Road to Boundi Road, Marocha Bondi Road to Birahampur Deed Road (1.50 km), Marocha Boundi Road to Kodahi Approach Road (7.90 km).
In one case, the team found though the road was completed in March 2008, there was no maintenance.
“The mechanism of routine has failed in this case and the State has not been able to ensure maintenance. Now, it would be the responsibility of the State to maintain this road in such a way that all defects are removed and immediate renewal of this road is done,” says the report on the status of the Marocha Bondi Road to Birahampur Deed Road.
In another case, the team noted that “If sufficient funds were made available by the State for routine maintenance of this road even the deterioration which has occurred would have not taken place. There is immediate need for maintenance of this road and it is required to have renewal coat for almost 70% length of the road. Now, since State has not provided sufficient funds on time, it would be responsibility of State to fund the renewal during this year.”
In case of the stretch from Khera Dokri Kodahi Road to Jihura Mafi Ranipur, the work was not found to be in a very ‘systematic’ manner.
However, this is not the first time that the Centre has picked holes in the implementation of the rural road scheme in Uttar Pradesh. In March, this year, following complaints of misappropriation of PMGSY funds, the Rural Development Ministry headed by Jairam Ramesh has asked the SP Government to get a CBI probe conducted into the allegations.
The allegations of corruption pertain to the amount sanctioned for construction of roads in village areas in the Sultanpur district.