kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, said that she would go to Delhi to find out why Bengal was deprived, and gave out alternative ways to continue with the construction of dwellings under the Banglar Bari and rural roads despite Centre's non-disbursal of funds in both of these projects.
Chairing the administrative review meeting at Durgapur concerning East and West Burdwan districts, Banerjee directed the concerned state administration not to prepare any fresh list under Banglar Bari. She also asked the Zilla Parishads (ZPs) and Panchayat Samities(PSs) to execute work for rural roads by utilising half of the 15 per cent funds that they get under the 15th Finance Commission.
"The Centre has not only stopped the disbursal of funds under Banglar Bari but has not yet prepared the target list of houses under the scheme for the ongoing financial year. So, no fresh list related to Banglar Bari should be prepared till we receive funds," she said.
"We should only take up construction of those houses for which the list has already been prepared. I would myself go to Delhi and find out why Bengal has been subjected to such deprivation," Banerjee said.
The Centre allocates 60 per cent while Bengal shares 40 per cent of funds for the Banglar Bari scheme. The state government charges nothing for registration, provides total waiver in mutation fee and even does not impose charges for building plan sanction.
Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi said that the due installments worth Rs 1,200 crore in connection with ongoing construction work of 1,01,000 houses under Banglar Bari will be soon released.
Dwivedi said that the state can take up construction of 10 lakh houses for this fiscal. Banerjee said that funds that will be saved with the rural bodies taking up the responsibility of construction of rural roads will be diverted for construction of dwelling under Banglar Bari. Rs 1,700 crore can be received by the rural bodies through the 15th Finance commission.
"Since the Centre has stopped giving funds for rural roads, the ZP and the PS should take up work for construction of rural roads only. 50 per cent of the funds received by these rural bodies under 15th Finance Commission will be utilised in rural roads," she said.
"The rural bodies should take the list of such roads in the pipeline from the district magistrate. The various government departments will be shouldering the responsibility of other necessary development works in the rural areas. The Sabhadhipati should hand over a list of other works to the concerned District Magistrate who will send the same to Chief Secretary for taking appropriate measures," Banerjee directed.
As many as 20 state government departments have engaged labourers having job cards of 100 days work in various works and 3 lakh mandays have already been created.
The move came after Banerjee, while holding an administrative review meeting at West Midnapore last month, had directed the state administration to engage job card holders of 100 days work on priority basis for non-technical work executed by the various departments for addressing the issues of non-payment of wages for MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) which is pending for over six months.
"I will ask the administration to involve as many job card holders as possible in various projects," she added.