Assam’s Public Works Development Minister Ajanta Neog and officials of her department skipped a review meeting on major road projects in the State taken by Union Minister for Sports, Youth Affairs and Skill Development Sarbananda Sonowal at the Assam Administrative Staff College here on Tuesday.
Mr. Sonowal told journalists that he was entrusted the responsibility by Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari to hold the review meeting after the members of parliament from the State had drawn the attention of Mr. Gadkari on slow progress of roads and highway projects in the State.
He flayed the State Government for not attending the meeting in which top officials of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways were present to take stock of the projects. Mr. Sonowal alleged that the State Government’s by not attending the meeting only harmed the interests of the State and its people. Members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha representing the State including three Congress MPs attended the meeting.
Asked to comment, the Assam Government spokesman and Environment and Forest minister Rockybul Hussain told journalists that no State Government representative attended the meeting as it had not been convened following proper norms.
“I can ask officials of my departments to come for a meeting during my visit to particular district or area in the State. However, it is not mandatory on the part of officials of other departments to attend any meeting taken by me,” added the State Government spokesman.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, on the other hand, reviewed the progress of road projects under Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana in a meeting with PWD minister Ajanta Neog and senior officials of her department and other top State Government officials. An official release stated that Mr. Gogoi had instructed the departments concerned to expedite the PMGSY projects of construction and renovation of roads and bridges and ensure their completion on time. The Chief Minister also issued instruction for immediately setting up the proposed Assam State Road Development Corporation.
Meanwhile the State Government spokesman clarified that education is a State subject and it was not mandatory for the schools in the State to make their students watch the live Teacher’s Day address to be delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
