Poor progress of PMGSY works

Out of 641.606 km, 426.618 km roads are still incomplete

From our Correspondent

JORHAT, Nov 30: Out of 641.606 km roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) scheme 426.618 km roads are still incomplete on date in the Chief Minister’s home district Jorhat. The Central Government project, which is executed by the Public Works Department (PWD), Assam since 2000-2001 year, only 212.195 km roads have been completed in the last ten years, a report of the Assam Public Works Department said.

The PWD Department of Assam has yet to complete many PMGSY works in Jorhat district since 2004. The department has taken up eight phases of works in the last ten years and more than four phases of works are still incomplete due to some unknown reasons. According to the official report, in 2004-05 out of 32.24 km more than 29.34 km of Agriculture Development Bank (ADB), out of 44.28 km more than 39.034 km of general, in 2005-06 out of 116.817 km more than 65.271 km of ADB and in 2006-07 out of 47.595 km more than 46.395 km of ADB and out of 203.31 km more than 195.56 km roads have yet to be completed in the district so far. Apart from this, the department has not taken up any PMGSY road development work in 2008-09 in Jorhat, though as many as 113.295 km have been proposed to be taken up in the current year.

When contacted Rajkamal Dutta, Executive Engineer of Jorhat Rural Road Division, admitted the fact that the PMGSY works in Jorhat district is at a snail’s pace. When asked about the delayed progress of works he said that, due to the shortage of materials they have failed to pick up the works with required speed. Pointing out the lack of stone supply to the district in the last couple of days he said, “We have to depend on the stone quarries located in Bihubar area along Assam-Nagaland border of Sivasagar district. But, due to having the power of Naga people over these stone quarries, we have been facing an acute shortage of stones”, he added. THE SENTINEL