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Bengal

'Change PMGSY to Pradhan Mantri Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna'

State Panchayat and Rural Development minister Subrata Mukherjee has suggested to change the name of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yogna (PMGSY) to Pradhan Mantri Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMCMGSY) as the Centre is giving money on 60:40 basis to construct rural roads and it is the state's responsibility to repair them.

He said, earlier the Centre used to fund the entire construction cost of rural roads. But now, it is providing funds on a 60-40 basis and it is the responsibility of the states to maintain them.

He said, he has requested the state government to release Rs 1,000 crore to repair roads. "Construction of roads is very important as it improves connection but maintaining them is equally important because if the roads are damaged, then the whole exercise to improve communication will go for a waste," he said.

He said that the state government had constructed 12,000 km roads in the past five years and steps have been taken to ensure that the remaining rural roads are completed in the next five years. He said, the detailed project report for another 2,000 km rural road had been submitted to the Centre and the Centre is likely to give clearance shortly.

It may be mentioned that the erstwhile Left Front government had constructed only 10,000 km roads in 10 years and in those days, the entire money was given by the Centre under PMGSY. It may be recalled that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said over and again that had CPI(M) constructed rural roads, her government could have taken other schemes to develop the state. Though CPI(M) had always spoken of rural development, it did nothing to improve rural roads nor did it try to improve economic health of rural Bengal.

It may be recalled that after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the Panchayat and Rural Development department and Public Health Engineering department, both headed by Subrata Mukherjee, to make plans to set up rural roads and ensure that drinking water problem in the rural areas is resolved.

The Panchayat and Rural Development department has taken steps to construct all rural roads by 2021 and by 2019, all villages in Bengal will have drinking water, a unique plan prepared by the Public Health Engineering department. It may be recalled, that the works of the Panchayat and Rural Development department has also been appreciated by the Centre.
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