Days after Union Residence Minister Amit Shah opened 5 border outpost buildings in Kishanganj district and assured folks of “security and improvement”, the ruling JD(U) has flagged the Centre’s failure in finishing the essential roads undertaking on the Indo-Nepal border.
In an try and counter what it referred to as “Shah’s large speak” on safety of individuals and improvement in border areas, the JD(U) cited the CAG’s 2021 report on the undertaking, which was initially scheduled for completion in 2016.
Tabled within the Lok Sabha this April, the CAG report — “Efficiency audit of Indo-Nepal border highway undertaking”— exhibits that even one-third of the undertaking isn’t full.
“We don’t make any political allegations in opposition to the Centre,” JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar instructed The Indian Specific, “We’re solely displaying the NDA authorities the mirror… For the reason that Residence Minister talked large concerning the safety of individuals alongside Indo-Nepal and likewise the Indo-Bangladesh border owing to sundry unlawful actions.”
In line with Kumar, in 2010, the Cupboard Committee on Safety (CCS) had determined to assemble 1,377 km of highway, of which 564 km was to be constructed alongside the Indo-Nepal border masking its eight districts in Bihar. The estimated undertaking price was Rs 3,853 Crore.
The undertaking was cleared in 2012, with a scheduled deadline of 2016. The Centre, nevertheless, modified the undertaking deadline “to 2018 and later to 2019 and at last to December 2022”, Kumar stated.
He stated the Centre had additionally modified the alignment of some roads below the undertaking, inflicting injury to fifteen bridges constructed by the state.
The Centre additionally modified the undertaking price in 2017 inflicting a loss to the state, Kumar stated additional, citing the CAG report.
“It was determined that Rs 3,935.13 crore could be spent for the Bihar stretch… Out of it, the Centre’s share stood at Rs 1,656.56 crore, as was determined in 2012, however Bihar’s share went up from Rs 896.30 crore to Rs 2,278.57 crore. Whereas the Centre didn’t launch funds in time, Bihar needed to take a mortgage of Rs 928.77 crore,” he added.
Countering Shah’s claims on safety, the JD(U) chief stated the Centre had additionally not taken Shastra Seema Bal (SSB)’s recommendation to make sure border roads aren’t constructed greater than 500 metres away from the border outposts.
However the roads being constructed are “20 km away from the outposts at some locations, and 40 km away at others”, Kumar added.
The BJP hit again saying the previous ally within the state had no “ethical authority” to lecture the Centre.
BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand instructed The Indian Specific: “The JD(U) likes to pursue politics of appeasement…It has no ethical authority to present us lectures on the functioning of PM Narendra Modi-led Union authorities or on the problems of inside and border safety”.