WB blames Centre for reduced rural assistance

The West Bengal government today accused the Centre of reducing the quantum of assistance for construction of rural roads from 100 per cent to 60 per cent.
Replying to a discussion on the topic in the Assembly, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee alleged partiality of the central government in disbursing assistance for rural development.
"We have built 10,000 km of rural roads with 100 per cent assistance, but now the state has to provide a 40 per cent matching grant, which will eventually turn to 50 per cent," Mukherjee said.
Based on the current cost of building a kilometre at Rs 60 lakh, West Bengal will have to shell out at least 1,200 crore to build another 5,000 km as planned.

Mukherjee said the state in its 2020 vision document proposed to supply 70 litres of drinking water to all everyday.
On the Opposition charge that rampant corruption was taking place in the MGNREGA project, the minister said actually corruption had reduced to a great extent since the Left regime with the system of electronic payment mechanism put in place.