Not a single quality road under PMGSY: BJP

     Raipur, March 10, 2010: In an embarrassing situation, senior BJP leaders today attacked their own party government in Chhattisgarh on the construction of sub standard roads in the state under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

     During the budget discussion on the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department, senior BJP MLA Badridhar Diwan said for the last six years he had been only listening that quality roads would be constructed under the PMGSY in the state.

     In fact not a single road under the PMGSY had been constructed as per the rule and the condition of the roads is very bad, said the former Deputy Speaker of the state assembly.

     Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey reminded the house that the Chair (Speaker) had issued direction on the PMGSY road and said even after that the condition of the roads had not been improved.

    Pratima Chandrakar of Congress said despite complaints action had not been taken against the contractors for bad roads.

     Padma Ghanashyam Manhar of Congress said many roads of her Sarangarh area were in broken condition. She said the Minister should personally look into that.

     However, the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Ram Vichar Netam replying to the debate said his department lack sufficient staff to conduct quality test.

     But the condition of the roads have really been improved in the last one and half years, he claimed apparently indicating that the condition of roads and works under the previous Minister Ajay Chandrakar of his own party BJP were not good.

     After a voice vote the budget of about Rs 1286 Crore for the Departments of Netam were passed in the assembly.