Holding the Central agencies responsible for the tardy progress of rural roads under Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said that the tripartite agreement signed by the previous government in August 2004 handing over construction work of 18905.75 kms of rural roads in 38 districts under PMGSY to central agencies was against the interests of Bihar.
“I, as a union minister, had then opposed the agreement tooth and nail and had suggested that the state instead of taking the services of central agencies such as NBCC, NPCC, NHPC, CPWD and IRCON should construct the roads on its own,” he said.
The result is to be seen. These central agencies have managed to complete only 27.44 per cent of the work allotted to them as on September 30, 2009, Mr. Kumar said.
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He asked the Central agencies to hand back the projects to the state if they were not in a position to complete the work as the state mechanism was competent enough.
Mr. Kumar said from now onwards maintenance of roads would be the responsibility of the Rural Works department and added that very soon the government would come out with rural road maintenance policy.