985 kms of roads in State's lWE regions completed so far

A total of 985 kms roads have been completed under Central Government's first phase of Road Requirement Plan (RRP) in the left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected districts of Chhattisgarh as on July 31, 2015, officials stated.The total measurement of roads to be constructed under RRP in Chhattisgarh's lWE affected regions is 2019 kms at a sanctioned cost of Rs 3045 crores.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is primarily responsible for the development and maintenance of National Highways in the country. 

In addition, the Ministry is implementing first phase of Road Requirement Plan (RRP-I) for improvement of 5477 Km roads to two lane in 34 districts of 8 states affected by left Wing Extremism (lWE). 

Original target for completion of RRP-I was March 2015. Primarily, security related issues are hampering the progress of the works. The delay in completion of works is due to frequent call of bandhs, burning of plants and machinery of contractors, delay in granting forest permission and mining permits by the State Governments and in some cases poor performance of contractors, officials stated. 

RRP-I is likely to be substantially completed by March 2016 except about 500 km, which are yet to be awarded in the States of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, officials stated. Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government has proposed that the Centre should undertake the "Bastar Plan" for its integrated development on both economic and security fronts.

Chief Minister Raman Singh had also raised the issue of reimbursement under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme and demanded the deployment of five additional CRPF Battalions, officials informed.This is following the visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who was on a two-day visit of  Chhattisgarh on May 30 and 31 this year.

The Union Minister during his visit had reviewed the anti-lWE Operations and the development agenda with the Chief Minister Raman Singh and senior officials of the Central and State Government. The Union Minister had also directed that the installation of mobile towers by the BSNl be expedited, particularly in Sukma district.

He said that new Post Offices will be opened in the three worst affected districts of south Bastar namely Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada.Singh also laid stress on the expeditious formulation of the Road Requirement Plan, RRP-II, in consultation with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. 

He had called for the opening of schools and hostels, new bank branches and expansion of radio and TV coverage in the Naxal affected areas. The Union Home Minister had also held an interaction with the jawans of the CRPF and State Police Force at Chintagufa Camp in Sukma. The jawans had demanded adequate provision for Family Accommodation in Group Centres and removal of differences in Pay and Allowances between the State Police Force, CAPF and CoBRA jawans staying in the same campus.

Assuring the jawans, Singh said that the constant effort of the MHA is to improve the working conditions and take welfare measures for CAPF jawans.

Notably, the Central government has also recently approved a revised cost of Rs 3,045 crore under its Road Requirement Plan (RRP) for improvement of road connectivity in left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected areas of Chhattisgarh.

Overall, the Centre has approved a Road Requirement Plan (RRP) for improvement of road connectivity in left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected areas of a total of 34 districts in 8 States covering 5477 km length (1126 km NHs & 4351 km State Roads).  As per details of Physical Progress achieved as on March 1, 2015 under RRP-I, the length of road completed between 2010-11 to 2014-15 in the insurgency infested areas in Chhattisgarh  upto February 28,2015 was 868 kms.

As per the State-wise details of fund allocated and expenditure incurred under lWE scheme, Chhattisgarh made expenditure of Rs 190 crore between 2010-11 to 2014-15 upto February 28, 2015.Notably, last year, the Central government had also simplified the procedure for offering general approval under Section-2 of Central Forest Conservation Act 1980, keeping in view the need of infrastructural development for public utility.

This implied that general approval for construction of roads on forest land in a total of ten left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected districts of Chhattisgarh will now be granted easily, official informed here.As per the simplified procedure, the general approval for construction of two-lane highways on forest land will be given by State Government itself.

In this context, Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand had issued a circular to Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of all the departments and also to the Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors.According to the officials, simplification of clearance procedure will largely benefit the areas of 10 lWE affected districts of the State, by expediting construction of roads in Chhattisgarh and connecting it to mainstream development.

The 10 lWE affected districts include Bastar (Jagdalpur), Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, Narayanpur, Jashpur, Kabeerdham (Kawardha), Rajnandgaon, Koriya and Surguja. This simplified procedure will also be applicable in the new districts, which have been formed by reorganizing the aforementioned old districts. 

It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Raman Singh, in his meeting with Union Minister of State for Forest and Environment Prakash Javdekar in New Delhi on June 10, 2014, had made the Centre aware of the complications arising in procedure of forest and environment clearances, officials stated. In the circular, the Chief Secretary has directed all the Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors that with effect of the rules relaxed by the Central Government, implementation of two-lane highway projects of Integrated Action Plan and other schemes in mentioned districts should be expedited.