Bijay Charak
Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 5: Out of 13 road projects sanctioned under the 8th phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in district Doda, not a single has been completed so far.
In 2011, union government sanctioned 13 road projects for Doda at an estimated cost of Rs. 60 crore and 18 lakh. The projects covered 101 kilometers, but so far earthwork has been completed for only 66 kilometers.
One such road is (Km. 60th of NHIB to Sunarthawa road) of Block Chiralla, whose estimated cost was Rs. 10.18 crores, covering 15 kilometers. But afte lapse of two years, only 40 percent earthwork has been done.
Romesh Kumar, Sarpanch of Bhallara panchayat said that earlier the work of said road was being executed by Public Works Department (PWD) and small vehicles used to ply on that portion of road. After the road came under PMGSY, the movement of small vehicles movement also got stopped.
"The construction work on the road has stopped. Many times we urged higher officials of the agency concerned to accelerate the work but all in vain as no one bothered," said the Sarpanch. He said around one thousand families reside in four panchayats but due to lackadaisical approach of the officials, people were forced to live in the stone age and have to trek several miles on foot to reach town.
He said that government of India had sanctioned funds to state government on time, but the previous state government had virtually failed to utilize these funds properly. "During the tenure of previous government, not a single road of Doda district sanctioned under PMGSY got completed," he said, adding that only hope of people was with the new dispensation.
When contacted, Executive Engineer PMGSY Doda said that due to bad weather conditions the construction work was stopped. "The agency has taken an initiative that the earthwork will be completed by June, 2015," he said. |
