State urges Centre for 'legitimate allocation' of about Rs 400 crore

KOLKATA: The Bengal government has written to the Centre to ensure its 'legitimate allocation' under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) for projects worth around Rs 400 crore for construction of crucial roads in the state.

According to the sources in the state Secretariat, chief secretary HK Dwivedi has written a letter to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways a few days back in this regard.

Besides urging the Centre to ensure CRIF for the construction of six 'major roads' in districts, including Darjeeling, Murshidabad, West Midnapore and West Burdwan, stress has also been given on ensuring guaranteed completion

of the ongoing major projects for better road connectivity in the state.

This comes when the Bengal government has already sorted out existing problems of allocation of land to other crucial issues for implementation of the projects to further improve the road connectivity.

"Allocation under CRIF is done for every state. It will be Bengal's legitimate allocation," said a senior state government officer. Sources said meetings had also taken place earlier with the Centre, when its concerned officers had assured of sanctioning the state's legitimate allocations and dues at the earliest.

But, the assurances are yet to be fulfilled.

The major roads, for which the Bengal government has placed demand for ensuring the legitimate allocation of around Rs 400 crore, include Matigara-Kurseong Road, Malda-Harishchandrapur Road, Badshahi Road at Katwa and another important thoroughfare at Ghatal in West Midnapore.

It needs to be mentioned that the chief secretary recently held a meeting with all concerned officers. District magistrates were also given the direction to ensure streamlining of the existing issues 'with all priority' for seamless execution of the work to complete the tasks of national highways.

Deadlines have been fixed for completion of the highways. This comes when a portion of Barojagulia road, a part of the NH 34, is yet to be completed. The Dalkhola bypass also has to be completed by February.

Sources said the state Public Works Department has largely completed the major repairing work of the Balason Bridge, which was damaged due to torrential rainfall, at Matigara in Siliguri in a war footing manner.

The same will be reopened in the first week of December. But, it has been stated that the remaining work of the major thoroughfare also has to be executed by the national highway authorities.