Vijayvargiya trashes oppn's charges on bitumen purchase

Bhopal, Aug 2 (UNI) Dismissing as baseless the opposition's allegations regarding purchase of inferior-quality bitumen (coal)for road-laying, Madhya Pradesh Public Works Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya today claimed that the state government played no role whatsoever in the purchase.

''My department has not bought any rubber-modified bitumen,'' he told reporters here while countering state Congress President Subhash Yadav's accusations that the quality of roads was poor owing to inferior bitumen.

The minister explained that the bitumen for laying the state's roads was purchased through contractors and only from refineries earmarked by the Centre.

''The opposition has levelled a baseless allegation that the monsoon ruined several hundred km of roadways. Of the total 17,000-km stretch laid during BJP tenure not even 100 km was damaged,'' he claimed.

Pointing out that officials in districts concerned were suspended and action ordered against contractors after reports of poor-quality roads at a very few places, Mr Vijayvargiya turned the tables on the opposition by alleging that in 2000, during the Congress tenure, the then public works minister Shravan Patel ordered purchase of 1,500 tonnes of inferirr-quality bitumen.

''The main opposition Congress has alleged that poor-quality bitumen was supplied by the Tina Company but that is owned by a senior Congress leader,'' he added.

When asked whether an inquiry would be ordered into purchase of inferior-quality bitumen during Congress tenure, the minister merely said the roads laid -- using that bitumen -- deteriorated even before the BJP assumed the reins.

''Over the past two-and-a-half years, Rs 1,960 crore were spent on road-laying and that excludes the amount expended on national highways and the Prime Minister's Rural Roads Scheme,'' he explained.

The minister said there was a permanent likelihood of deterioration of roads as the Centre did not provide separate funds for drains alongside national highways. In view of that, the state government decided to put in place a drainage system along those roads built with ADB aid and on BOT basis.

UNI AG-AC PR RN1907