CM's growth drive: 18,000 km new rural roads for Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday that 18,000 kms of rural roads would be inaugurated across the state on June 12.

All MPs, MLA, Zilla Sabadhipatis and BDOs have been requested to install bricks in their respective areas to mark the beginning of construction of rural roads in West Bengal. This announcement was made by Mamata Banerjee at the administrative review meeting held in Sukanta Sadan at Barrackpore in the North 24 Parganas on Tuesday afternoon.

Of the 18,000 km rural roads, tender processes are on for 4473 kms. In 2016-17, the construction of 2825 kms of roads had been completed. The state government with its own funds will repair and maintain 8,743 km rural roads that had been built 5 years ago, while construction of 1959 kms of roads is also on. After the Centre reduced its distribution of funds, it is now the state government's responsibility to maintain rural roads. Senior officials of Panchayats and rural development department said there would be no compromise in repair work.

While at Barrackpore, Banerjee also announced the Barrackpore Utsadhara Project to maintain Barrackpore's heritage structure. The project would be dedicated to Mangal Pandey the first martyr of the 1857 Sepoy Mutinee. Along with an installation of Amar Shahid Jyoti, the whole area will also be developed as a centre for eco-tourism. Banerjee also set up the Barrackpore Development Board with the district magistrate of North 24 Parganas, Antara Acharya as its chairperson. The board will also be provided with Rs 5 crore by the state urban development department.

Banerjee spoke on education and health too, assuring that many Madhyamaik schools in the district would be upgraded to higher secondary level. She reiterated that those running private nursing homes and hospitals must remember that, "offering service to the people and selling stone chips and stones is not the same thing." She said that it was unfortunate that some doctors were scared of the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Act. "Why should the doctors be afraid of the Act? The Act has been made to ensure that the patients and their relatives are not harassed by private nursing homes and hospitals.

" She said in case of any grievance, relatives of the patients should first discuss with the nursing home authorities to settle the matter and in case they fail to do so, they should approach the Regulatory Commission. "The state government has no intention of intervening in the day to day functioning of private hospitals and nursing homes. The Commission is there to settle the disputes that may crop up between the patients and the nursing home authorities."

Banerjee also urged the MPs to provide Rs 25 lakh to each police station in their constituency from MP LAD to acquire life-saving ambulances. She also urged the MPs to provide funds to upgrade rural crematoria. "The state government will upgrade 1000 rural crematoria and for this the support of the MPs is essential," Banerjee maintained.

The chief minister urged the police to take steps to stop cattle smuggling and initiate stern action against criminals irrespective of their political affiliation. She instructed the police to act against BJP who are trying to instigate communal riots in different areas. Surajit Kar Purakayastha, director general of police said that the police have identified vulnerable areas where there maybe communal tension and appropriate steps will be taken.

Banerjee told Trinamool leaders to give up infighting immediately. She urged Sabyasachi Dutta, Mayor Tapas Chatterjee, Deputy-Mayor and Krishna Chakraborty, Chairperson of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, "to stop infighting and work together." Similarly, she asked Paras Dutta and Arjun Singh to "bury the hatchet". She instructed municipal workers and councillors to pull up their socks and work seriously.