Jairam Ramesh suggests Naveen Patnaik to take help of CPWD for PMGSY projects

BHUBANESWAR: With the PMGSY projects in Bihar, Jharkhand and Tripura having yielded positive results with CPSU mobilisation, the Centre today suggested to the Odisha government to rope in the Central Public Works Department ( CPWD) for early completion of rural works.

"Odisha still requires 13,500 km of rural roads while 7,500 km of the existing roads are to be upgraded under PMGSY upgradation. I feel that partnering with CPSUs will help expedite completion of the projects in the next 2-3 years. If the state government is willing, then my ministry would take this proposal forward", Union Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh wrote to chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Ramesh's suggestions to Patnaik came in view of the state's limited execution capacity in carrying out projects under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY, official sources said adding that Ramesh had a discussion with state government officials in this regard recently.

Stating that PMGSY projects in Bihar, Jharkhand and Tripura have yielded positive results, Ramesh said the West Bengal government is soon going to partner with two CPSUs for execution of PMGSY projects in three Integrated Action Plan (IAP) districts.

The Union minister also said that he had a detailed discussion with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) which is willing to partner with the Odisha government to execute PMGSY projects in Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh and Balangir districts.

Ramesh proposed to the state government to rope in CPWD as the executing agency for the remaining districts where the projects are underway, sources said.