Builders to protest poor funds for Maha rural roads

Alleging poor flow of funds from Centre to Maharashtra under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) were affecting road network there, builders from the state, would stage a protest in Delhi tomorrow.
"Works to the tune of Rs 2,200 crore have been sanctioned and are in progress but only Rs 291 crore have been allocated in 2015-16... Work progress have been seriously hampered and many contractors have stopped their works in view of non payment," Builders Association of India today said.
The flagship rural road building programme, launched in 2000 by the then BJP-led NDA government had added thousands of kms of rural network but vast parts of rural Maharashtra are inaccessible due to lack of government attention, they said.

They also attached a letter from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an immediate release of at least Rs 1,500 crore to tide over the situation.
Fadnavis in the letter dated August 1 has mentioned, "The agencies who have completed the work are pressing hard for payment, and not willing to take up any ongoing work. The state government has been pursuing release of funds with Ministry of Rural Development for last two years."
The letter also mentions that that the Centre has released barely Rs 207 crore in 2014-15 while in 2015-16 the release has been to the tune of a meagre Rs 129 crore.

"In the last three years there is a huge mismatch between sanctions given by Government of India and the actual release from Government of India," Fadnavis mentioned.
Meanwhile, in a signed petition to the government, the builders have mentioned not only adequate funding will make the roads accessible but would result in timely implementation of schemes.
"In case our matter of funding to PMGSY projects in Maharashtra is not resolved...We are going to sit for protest against the matter on August 11 at Jantar Mantar," the builders, headed by all India President Mahendra Patil said in the petition.