Forum demands release of PMGSY funds
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 26 2022:
All Manipur Contractor Association Forum has urged the state government to release all pending Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) funds, which have already been sanctioned by the central government, at the earliest.
In a press meet held at Manipur Press Club here on Saturday, Forum convenor Th Somorendro said the government had announced that all road repair works associated with PMGSY Phase-I and Phase-II taken under National Rural Road Development Agency (NRRDA) will be completed by September this year.
As such, all works must be completed by September without fail.
However, despite the approaching deadline, the state government is yet to release the pending.
PMGSY funds.
The release of funds under the said scheme has been quite irregular over the past 2 years, even though the centre had sanctioned the same regularly, he remarked.
"On September 27, 2021, the central government sanctioned its share of Rs 183.50 crore.
The state government should be depositing its share into the account of Manipur State Rural Roads Development Agency (MSRRDA) within 15 days from the date the central funds were sanctioned.
However, the state released the funds only on December 28 .
Later, on December 31 the central government sanctioned another Rs 183.50 crore as its share but the same has not been released by the state government till date," he informed, while stating that the government's attitude towards the contractors is highly disappointing.
Informing that some of the PMGSY works have not been completed even halfway, while others unconfirmed; Somorendro cited various reasons starting from delay in releasing the fund to the erratic release of the fund by the government, for this sorry state of affair.
If the works gould not be completed by September, as was announced by the government of India, the state government would have to bear the financial burden of completing the works.
Thus, he urged the state government to release the pending PMGSY funds in time so as to avoid such a situation.