Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday gave his approval to 19 more roads to be constructed under Saryu Development Action Plan (SDAP) at Saryu area in latehar. Ramesh was holding a meeting at New Delhi with the PMGSY team of Jharkhand to discuss on the development works being carried on under the plan in Saryu area.
“The Union Rural Development Minister on Thursday gave his nod to the construction of 19 more roads under SDAP covering 56 km in Saryu area,” said REO Secretary SK Satpathy. Rs 32 crore has been sanctioned for the construction work, he added.
The Centre has been closely monitoring the implementation of Rs450 crore SDAP which is to be executed in the 12 gram panchayats in the Maoist-affected latehar and Palamau approved by the Minister on August 12, 2012.
The plan covers four blocks, 12 gram panchayats and 1200 families in 1500 square kilometres of area which is twice the size of the area covered under the ongoing Saranda Action Plan in West Singhbhum district.
Total of 23 rural roads are to be constructed under PMGSY under the plan in Saryu area. Ramesh during his last visit on July 29 had laid the foundation stone for 5 roads and three bridges in Saryu area.
The plan was launched to develop the region that was once considered to be the headquarters of the Bihar-Jharkhand North Chhattisgarh Special Area Committee (BJNCSAC) of the CPI (Maoist).
The developmental projects will be executed in Saryu on the lines of Saranda Action plan being carried out in Saranda forests of West Singhbhum.
Confidence building measures among the villagers are being launched soon after evacuating the remote areas from the Maoists with the help of security forces to motivate them against the rebels who had earlier been supported by the rebels for long.
Security is being provided by the forces where developmental works are going on in the area and three CRPF camps have already been established in the interiors at Saryu, Oreya and Kone of latehar.
Ramesh, who has recently been chosen as the Chairman of Committee for Implementation of Common Minimum Programme in Jharkhand is visiting Ranchi on Friday to chalk out a strategy for the alliance government.