RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, March 8: The State government today expressed its commitment for rural employment and connectivity before the assembly approved a budget of Rs 8051.67 crore for the rural development department in the absence of the opposition party legislators.
Parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam made it clear while giving reply on behalf of the government after a debate on cut motion brought by BJP legislator Anant Ojha concluded.
During the debate it was asked by several opposition party legislators that the MNREGA scheme is not running properly in the state and several irregularities have come to the fore in its implementation in the state. On which Minister Alam said the scheme which started in 2006 during the UPA rule proved a life saver for the labourers during corona times and the scheme helped give jobs to several migrant labourers who returned to the state during covid time.
Alam said proper steps have been taken to provide houses to the poor in rural areas and the state government has planned to provide 11000 houses under Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas Yojna. Sharing details he said that the number of houses will be equally allocated in all the 24 districts on the recommendation of legislators.
During the debate, it was alleged by the opposition legislators that the state government failed to sanction roads and bridges properly through the state and several legislators failed even to lay the foundation stone for roads during two years of the UPA rule.
Minister Alam admitted the fact partially saying it could not be possible for one and a half years due to Covid but after that many works were done in this direction. He said as many as 75 bridges have been approved and there is a plan to construct 1200km road.
He said as many as 20 bridges will be completed by the end of this financial year. He said that bridges whose requirement is felt urgently will be constructed on priority basis.
During the debate, demands were raised to increase the MLA area development funds by legislators from different parties. The minister said that the matter has come to the knowledge of the state finance minister and the chief minister and any decision could be taken in the matter only on March 25 when the chief minister addresses the house.
Earlier, during the debate, several suggestions were given to the government and the minister assured proper consideration on this. The important matters were brought to the notice of the government. The important among those remained non-discrimination in payment of wages under MNREGA scheme and abolition of provision of giving wages to ST first, completion of those wells first which had been partially dug under MNREGA schemes, promotion of vegetables produced by Sakhi Mandal, regularization of the job of eight women working since 2001 in old assembly building premises, the establishment of Nyay Panchayat in villages to solve small disputes at the village level, construction of an overbridge or under bridge road or service road in Cheri Manatu where as many as 38 people have died while crossing ring road besides others.
Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal attacked the government pointing out irregularities in the award of tender for the road construction and building construction. He also mentioned names of some of the government officials involved in corruption. He also took a dig at the state government for spending hardly 35 percent of the rural department budget during the financial year 2021-22.
