Jairam Ramesh emphasises adherence to PMGSY guidelines

Officials involved in implementing the projects must adhere to guidelines, especially the provisions related to consultation with MPs

Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has stressed upon the need to consult with local MPs while implementing various centrally sponsored schemes like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and others.

In a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, while giving details of various roads sanctioned in phase two of PMGSY, Ramesh said officials involved in implementing the projects must be asked to strictly adhere to guidelines, especially the provisions related to consultation with MPs.

The ministry has also asked the state government that “citizen information boards should be displayed in local language and the boards should be placed in a prominent location in the benefited habitation for each road work being executed under this programme”.

Disclosing this in a press note released here on Wednesday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, the letter was clear and categorical in saying that local MPs and MLAs be consulted about road construction and upgradation, lest these be manipulated by those having the say and sway over the power in the state.

Tewari, the Congress MP from Ludhiana said, the rural development ministry has sanctioned 46 more roads of 455 kilometres to be constructed at a cost of Rs 247 crore, of which, Rs 225 crore would be provided by the Centre and the state will have to provide Rs 22 crore.

This is in addition to the 121 roads measuring 637 km at the cost of Rs 319 crore provided by the Centre in February this year, he said.

“This takes the total number of road construction and upgradation in Punjab to 1,092 km so far this year,” Tewari said, adding the total share of Punjab in PMGSY-II is 1,345 km.

Criticising the Akalis for blaming the Centre, Tewari said, “This is just an example and rebuff to those who have been asking questions about the Centre’s contribution towards Punjab’s development.”