Happy with PMGSY
Guwahati: Union Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday accepted that delay in release of funds under NREGA was an area of concern.
Addressing a press conference here at the end of his two-day visit to Assam to oversee his ministry’s schemes implementation, the minister said the state government has raised the issue with him.
“I have received a complaint from the state government that there is a delay in release of funds from the Centre,” he said.
”We will examine it during a meeting in New Delhi on November 2 between our ministry officials and the state government representatives,” the minister added.
He said there was a need to accelerate NREGA implementation as well as ‘de-emphasize’ construction of roads under NREGA.
Ramesh said he has urged the chief minister to lay priority on irrigation, land management, forestry and others through the NREGA.
” The priority has been on road construction so far in the state, which we want to change,” he added.
The minister also said that allocation to the state under various schemes of his ministry, including Indira Awas Yojana, widow pension and national rural livelihood mission, is being increased considerably.
The Union Rural Development Minister also congratulated the Assam government for the progress in enhancing rural connectivity under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
Expressing satisfaction at the PMGSY work in the state, the minister, who reviewed the rural development schemes here since yesterday, said Assam has almost met its target of covering 11,000 habitations with population of over 1000 residents under the PMGSY in the last 10 years.
”Most of these habitations have been covered and whatever is yet to be done, will be completed fast,” Mr Ramesh said.
The minister said roads under PMGSY for habitations with population of 500 people have been approved for the state and detailed proposals will be sent by the state government by December. The new proposals will include bridges that are part of the roads and the bridges that were not built in the existing PMGSY roads will also be sanctioned soon, He added.(UNI)