STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Owing to lockdown, rural land connectivity works under PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) have suffered badly. Implemented in the State by the PWD (Public Works Department), the fund is released by the Ministry of Rural Development. Department sources informed The Sentinel that such road and bridge construction works of approximately Rs 3,000 crore were in full swing prior to the lockdown. Now the completion period of all these works will naturally get delayed. Once work starts, the rainy season will pose hurdles.
All Assam PWD Contractors’ Association general secretary Utpal Medhi said, “All the contractors are in a fix now as works have come to a standstill following lockdown. Our annual working season is from September to April. We’ve lost more than a month-long period. Even if the Department allows us to resume our works in full swing in May, there’ll be shortage of labourers as most of them are residents of Dhubri, Goalpara, Morigaon and other places that have now been identified as ‘Red Zones’ of COVID by the Government of India. Moreover, the spates of seasonal floods from June will pose hurdles in our work schedule.”
Medhi added, “Following the COVID guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), a few Deputy Commissioners (DCs) directed the PWD contractors to carry on the urgent connectivity works before the arrival of monsoon. The directives also instructed the contractors to resume such works with minimum numbers of vehicles and labourers. However, the contractors are facing shortage of labourers now due to present lockdown guidelines.”