Police, Forest Depts to construct roads in Chhattisgarh Naxal dists

     Raipur, November 12, 2011: Police and Forest Departments have agreed to construct roads in the naxal affected areas of Chhattisgarh, Union Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said here today.

     During a meeting with the state Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, Ramesh said because of the Maoists violence, contractors are not showing interest in road construction works under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in Chhattisgarh.

     During his tour of Narayanpur, Bastar, Dantewada and Bijapur districts, the Minister said he had spoken to the people’s representatives and officials and the Forest and Police Department officials have agreed to take responsibility of road construction in the naxal areas, he said.

      The Union Minister also said the Centre has also decided to appoint Development officers and Junior Engineers in every panchayat of the Naxal hit 60 districts of the country for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

     The Development Officers and the Junior Engineers would be appointed for a period of ten years for which the Centre would provide 70 per cent and the rest expenditure of 25 per cent would be borne by the State, Ramesh said.