Team Herald
MARGAO: Rajya Sabha Member Shantaram Naik lambasted the Public Works Department for taking very long to prepare estimates, which he said, delayed many of his MPLAD projects.
He was, however, happy to have utilized all the funds available with him under the scheme.
He lamented that the PWD was taking a year to prepare the estimates. “When computers are available today, why does it take one year to know how much material will be required for a particular project like a community hall,” he asked.
While appreciating the Konkan Railway Corporation for being quick and completing the projects undertaken under MPLAD within a year, he implied that the PWD should learn from it.
Shantaram expressed his regret that the South Western Railways had not followed up on the projects proposed by them and did not get back to him with the clarifications he had sought. “I would have given some funds to the South Western Railways too,” he said.
While pointing out that his term expires next month, he said work on only two projects proposed by him is yet to commence.
and was confident that they would take off soon thereby utilizing all the funds that were available to him under MPLAD.
“Providing CCTV cameras for a panchayat and developing a parking lot at the Collectorate complex are the two pending projects under MPLAD,” he said.
“A dedicated corridor and zero accident guarantee from the contractor is the only way the proposed bullet train will be successful in the country,” he said pointing out that India does not have the technology to provide the tracks for such high speed trains.
He opined that instead of spending crores of rupees on bullet trains the amount should have been used on improving and expanding the existing rail network by strengthening the tracks and improvising the trains.
He also questioned the necessity to spend Rs 20 crore to improvise Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains and opined that instead ordinary trains used by the common man should have been improvised. “Maybe provide an air conditioned coach in the trains used by the common man,” he said.
