Centre will consider and fulfil Bihar's demands at the earliest, says Kamlesh Paswan
The survey for the construction of 45,000 km of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), estimated at a cost of ₹76,000 crore, was currently underway in the fourth phase of the project, Mr. Paswan said, adding that the PMGSY is a continuing process being carried out in phases.
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'As soon as the State sends its survey report, the Centre will release the funds. Jammu and Kashmir, a Union Territory, was the first to send its survey report, and we have released the funds. I would ask the officials of the Bihar government to send the State's survey [report] at the earliest. We will release the funds as soon as they send their survey,' Mr. Paswan told media persons in Patna.
The Union Minister of State held a meeting with the Bihar Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar; Rural Works Minister Ashok Choudhary; Secretary of the Rural Development Department Lokesh Kumar Singh; and other senior State government officials.
'Bihar Ministers and officials have provided their suggestions, as well as certain demands for MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana), and roads. We will seriously consider their demands and try to fulfil [the demands] as soon as the possible,' Mr. Paswan said.
The Central government has carried out a plenty of schemes and projects in the past 11 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to realise the dream of a 'Viksit Bharat', he said, adding that unprecedented work had been completed in the past 11 years, whether in road connectivity, air connectivity, hospitals, or other sectors.
'Dozens of Vande Bharat trains are being run across the country. The Prime Minister has visited Bihar more than 51 times [in the past 11 years],' Mr. Paswan said, asserting that Bihar had a bright future.
The issue of outstanding dues of ₹200 crore on account of MGNREGA had been raised by him, Mr. Shravan Kumar said, urging the Union government to release the State's dues at the earliest.
The request to clear the allotment of the remaining houses to be built for people belonging to the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs) was also placed before the Union Minister, Mr. Shravan Kumar said.
Bihar had 94 lakh homeless families, he said, adding that the number was likely to increase with the Centre relaxing the criteria for availing a home under the PMAY.
The Bihar government was constructing 6,800 playgrounds across the State under the MGNREGA, and the Centre had also been requested to release the funds for this, Mr. Shravan Kumar said.
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