Cabinet nod to metro, two more flyovers in Guwahati

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Feb 20: The Tarun Gogoi cabinet on Saturday gave its nod to two more flyovers and the Rs 18,020 crore metro rail project in Guwahati.

One flyover will be constructed from Sarabhatti to Garbhanga Road at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore. Another flyover, estimated to cost Rs 200 crore, has been approved in the Super Market area on GS Road.

Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, Agriculture minister Rakibul Hussain said the 61.4-km metro rail project will have 54 stations in four corridors.

In another decision, the cabinet decided to hike the salaries of MGNREGA employees. The assistant engineers (MIS) will get a hike of 10 per cent with immediate effect, while the salaries of lower division employees have been raised from the existing Rs 4,500 to Rs 6,000.

Taking a dig at Union Rural Development minister Chaudhury Birender Singh, Hussain wondered as to why the Union minister was critical of the working of panchayats in the State when the Khetri panchayat has been ranked among the ten best panchayats in the country, and Assam topping the second category of e-panchayat standing. "It seems the Union minister has no up-to-date information," Hussain said.

Reiterating that the Central government has deprived the State of funds due to it, the minister said of the total allocation of Rs 1,862 crore under MGNREGA, the State has received only Rs 502 crore so far. "We have submitted the utilization certificates of the released amount, yet the Central government is not releasing further funds," he added.