Corruption alleged in Jharkhand road construction

Dec 15, 2007, 12:09 GMT

Ranchi, Dec 15 (IANS) The opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Jharkhand Saturday demanded that Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should inquire into the budgetary hike - from Rs.100 million to Rs.1.64 billion - of a road stretch in the last two years.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Saryu Rai raised the issue of the construction of a road between Hatghmaria and Baraiburu situated in Chaibasa district, during the Question Hour of the Jharkhand assembly. The road falls under the assembly segment of Chief Minister Madhu Koda.

'The initial cost of road was Rs.100 million which has gone up to Rs.1.64 billion in just two years. There is huge corruption in preparing the estimate of the road. There should be a CBI inquiry into the matter,' said Rai.

The NDA legislators demanded that a committee of the assembly should be constituted to inquire how the estimate of the road increased so much in just two years.

When assembly speaker Aalamgir Aalam refused to constitute the committee, the BJP legislators thronged the well of the house and shouted slogans.

Defending the increase in the budget, Koda said: 'The budgetary provisions have been increased considering the guidelines of the National Highway Authority of India. The movement of heavy vehicles has increased on the road and new estimate has been planned considering all these facts.'

Jharkhand has 1,678 km of national highway and according to a central government survey only 194 km of the highway is in good condition.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service