RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, March 15: The State government in the assembly today expressed its commitment to connect the rural areas of Jharkhand with cities by starting rural bus transport services.
Transport minister Champai Soren expressed the commitment in the assembly which passed the budget of Rs 261.61 crore of his department after a two-hour-long debate on the cut motion brought by BJP legislator Naveen Jaiswal.
Soren said the service is required as villages of Jharkhand situated in forest and hilly areas are inaccessible. Until a transport facility is provided to allow villagers to cities and city residents to village it is difficult to think about the development of rural people for which the government has been formed.
The transport minister said apart from providing bus services connecting villages with cities, the plan has also been chalked out to ensure smooth movement of every section of people in the cities. For this, he said the government has planned two flyovers in the Jharkhand capital, where nothing was done to ease traffic congestion during the rule of BJP-led governments.
Expressing his concern over the deaths due to incidents of ‘hit and run’, he said the government apart from paying attention to proper transportation has also provided funds for the family members of road accident victims.
Earlier, during the debate legislators from different political groups gave suggestions for improvement of transport and urban infrastructure in the state.
BJP legislator Jaiswal, who had brought a cut motion, asked the government to provide proper infrastructure at Transport Nagar being developed in 40-acre land besides demanding permission to dig boreholes in Ranchi Municipal Area till proper arrangement of water supply in the household.
He also demanded increasing the salary of ward councilors from Rs 7000 saying that the amount is not sufficient to fulfill their tea requirements and reducing the registration fee of the properties of housing board at the time of its conversion from leasehold to freehold.
Former urban development minister and BJP legislator C.P.Singh demanded the election of deputy mayor and mayor on a party basis.
JMM legislator Sudivya Kumar Sonu demanded a probe into scams taking place with the involvement of the urban development department during the BJP rule before explaining how Harmu rivulet was converted into a drain after the expenditure of Rs 84 crore from the public exchequer.
BJP legislator Raj Sinha before pulling up the government for its poor performance suggested one-time tax collection policy to regularize old vehicles on which tax was not paid for a long time and provision to pay floral tribute on the statues of leaders established at different roundabouts of the state. He also suggested paying attention to reducing pollution levels and improving infrastructure for proper movement of buses.
BJP legislator Samri Lal suggested proper planning to save ‘Bombay House’ for the poor at Chiraundi in Morhabadi area saying the houses may collapse due to waterlogging.
Congress legislator Irfan Ansari suggested the reduction of holding tax in small cities and planning for metro rail and more flyovers. He also asked the chief minister not to wait for Prime Ministers to inaugurate the airport at Deoghar.
BJP legislator Narayan Das suggested connecting Deoghar with Koderam via Jasidih by railways. Ajsu legislator Labodar Mahto suggested proper care on black spots on NH-33.
