MP, Chhatisgarh pass in rural development prog implementation

New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh and Chhatigarh have done well in various rural development projects especially under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and their initial response to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is satisfactory, Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said today.

Addressing a media briefing about the progress made by the two states, Dr Singh said that both the BJP ruled states have secured ''pass marks'' as far as their performance in the rural development projects are concerned. ''In most of the projects, except water and sanitation programmes, the two states have done well,'' he said .

Madhya Pradesh was allocated Rs 1678.43 crore from the centre during 2005-06 which was a 66.47 percent increase from the last year of which Rs 1662.96 crore was released, he pointed out. The minister gave a detailed information about the outlays and consumptions by the state.

In Chhatisgarh, the central allocation was Rs 968.06 crore which was 115.94 percent more than the previous year. Of this amount Rs 902.73 crore has already been released.

Asked whether failure to properly implement rural development schemes have resulted in the rise of naxalism in Chhatisgarh, Dr Singh said that the state was facing problems in implementing the programmes due to naxal threats. He said that the naxalism has to be controlled by state administration using force so that rural development schemes could be implemented.

The Minister said that he has written to all MPs and political parties to monitor the implementation of rural development projects in their constituencies. They should ensure that the list of people living below poverty line should be displayed on the public places and put on the website to bring transparency in the construction of houses under Indira Awas Yojna. He has also urged MPs to monitor implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in their constituencies.

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