Bengal to build 13,000 km rural roads

The West Bengal government is set to build another 13,000 km of rural roads in various districts ahead of Panchayat elections next year, a minister said on Wednesday.

In 2011, the state had got the central government's nod to construct some 20,000 km of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Of that, about 13,000 km of roads has been completed.

"We have got sanction for more rural roads from the Centre. We will now build another 13,000 km and the state would bear 40 per cent of the cost as per the new norms," Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of Environment Summit, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

Asked whether the roads would be completed before the Panchayat elections, he said the state would try to complete it as soon as possible.

According to Mukherjee, the state government would need to fund about Rs 3,100 crore as its share to complete the Rs 7,800-crore project.

Along with new roads, the state was focusing on maintenance of the rural roads, he added.

--IANS

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