Eyeing polls, govt fast tracks rural projects

Amid talks of early panchayat polls in the state, the Trinamool Congress government has put the different schemes targetting rural population on the fast track.

Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee has given a go ahead for the implementation of water supply scheme and a some road projects worth

Rs 14,500 crore.

Though the government says fast tracking the projects' implementation has nothing to do with the panchayat elections, but the hurry shown by the government to launch the projects by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee speaks otherwise. "This has nothing to do with the election. The government wants all projects meant for the rural people to be executed rapidly," Mukherjee told mediapersons on Friday.

While the government plans to spend Rs 8,500 crore for road projects, another

Rs 6,000 crore will be spent on water-supply schemes. The work on the projects, the minister said, will begin next month.

"Meetings about implementation of the water supply schemes have already been held and strict instructions have been issued to all engineers in districts not to make any delay in starting the execution of the schemes," Mukherjee added.

Among the major water supply schemes that are awaiting execution, most important is the scheme for the people of Bankura — still a CPM bastion. The government has prepared the scheme under which water from Damodar will be supplied to people through pipelines. This project and another one at Nodakhali in South 24-Parganas are likely to be inaugurated by the Chief Minister. The road projects will be implemented under PMGSY, a Central-sponsored scheme.

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