'Centre yet to clear funds to build 98 Rly over-bridges'

kolkata: State Power minister Aroop Biswas on Monday at the state Assembly was vocal against the Centre's apathy in releasing funds for expediting work in connection with Railway over-bridges (ROB) and similar infrastructure.

The Railways had sent proposals for constructing 98 ROBs to the PWD department but no funds in connection with the same have been received as yet, Biswas said at the state Assembly.

Biswas was replying at the answer question session on behalf of PWD (Public Works Department) minister Moloy Ghatak who was absent due to some emergency preoccupation. Biswas had held the charge of PWD before Ghatak.

"There is no proposal regarding Kamakhaguri ROB under Kumargram Assembly constituency among 98 proposals of ROBs that PWD department has got. Sadly, the Centre is indifferent to the cause of the people of North Bengal.

Because the state government has to provide land for the construction of ROB, the effective fund sharing between Centre and state stands at 30:70 instead of 50:50," Biswas said replying to a query from BJP MLA Manoj Kumar Orao.

The minister said that since 2011 when the Mamata Banerjee government came to power for the first time, 217 bridges and 15 ROBs have been constructed.

"The proposal for another 58 bridges and another 19 ROBs are in the fructifying stage with another 12 bridges in the DPR stage," he added.