June deluge: Uttarakhand to get Rs 1,577 crore package for roads

Uttarakhand will get a package of Rs 1,577 crore in three parts for the road works in the flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand under the Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY). 

 

The union rural and development ministry has approved a third package of Rs 777.07 crore for 166 road works in the floods-affected areas of Uttarakhand under the PMGSY.  With this, the total package from PMGSY has gone up to Rs 1577 crore for the damaged and new roads in the state which was battered by the devastating June floods. In the two previous occasions, the rural and development ministry has already approved packages of Rs 471 crore and Rs 335 crore for various road works in the floods-affected areas, said a top government official.

 

In the latest package, the projects proposals amounting to Rs 777.07 crore for 166 road works measuring 1621.94 km length including upgradation of 42 roads in flood affected areas under the phase XII of the PMGSY. 

 

Union Rural and Development Minister Jairam Ramesh in a letter to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said the package was approved after an empowered committee held a meeting in this regard on January 9.

 

Out of the 166 roads, 124 roads will be for the new connectivity. While approving the proposal, the committee has advised Uttarakhand about certain technical observations to comply with prior clearances to these proposals. The committee also asked the state to increase its absorption capacity as 253 works older than 2 years or more are pending for completion, Ramesh said in his letter.

 

Ramesh also asked the Chief Minister to send the compliance report in order to get the formal clearances of the proposals.