State to bring all ongoing projects on roads under one umbrella

Kolkata: The state government will launch 'Pathasree Abhijan', a scheme to bring all the ongoing projects on roads, under one umbrella.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to launch the scheme during her trip to North Bengal shortly.

The move has been taken expecting that a better coordination will take place once the schemes are brought under one umbrella. It will ensure better maintenance of roads besides fast execution of work for strengthening, widenming and construct of new roads.

Citing an example of the Joy Bangla scheme, a senior state government official said: "All schemes related to giving pension to elderly people have been brought under the umbrella of Joy Bangla scheme. Similarly it has been decided to bring all schemes related to roads under the Pathasree Abhijan."

This comes when the Chief Minister has stressed on ensuring repair of roads as fast as possible and if possible before Durga Puja.

The official further stated that signboards of "Pathashree Abhijan" will be set up at all the places where any work will be carried out under the scheme and there should be a metal or fibre or cement concrete board containing details of the work to be put up at the starting point of all new works and major improvement works.

Few blocks in each district will be taken up each day following a schedule to hold programmes related to the scheme that will be attended by local administrative officials besides the public representatives from the area.

The state Panchayats and Rural Development department implement the Banglar Gramin Sadak Yojona (BGSY) to construct rural roads. At the same time district authorities also construct and maintain rural roads in the grassroot level as well. Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha held a video conference on Friday with all district magistrates and concerned officers from the Panchayats and Rural Development department. Sources said that the district authorities were directed to ensure fast implementation of repairing and construction of roads for which the fund has already being sanctioned.

Sources said Sinha also took stock of the ongoing BGSY work. In which it has been decided that 2000 km rural roads under BGSY will be constructed in 2020-21 fiscal and already more than 400 km road has already been constructed. At least 288 km of road under the scheme was successfully constructed in the first four months of the current fiscal despite the Covid situation and lockdown.