Poor deserve first priority in works under corporate-social responsibility: CM

Bhopal: Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that roads of the state should also be smart. Speedy and effective arrangements should be made to remove hurdles in roads. He directed for constant monitoring of roads and making them safe and motorable during rainy season. Shri Chouhan was chairing a meeting of Board of Directors of Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation here today. PWD Minister Shri Sartaj Singh and Chief Secretary Shri Anthony de Sa were also present. A presentation on status of proposed national highways in the state was also given.

The Chief Minister said that the poor deserve first priority in works under corporate-social responsibility. Corporate sector must partner in efforts to uplift the poor and labourers. He directed to prepare a booklet of guidelines for this. He said that process should be undertaken to set norms for converting highways to national highways. Efforts should be made to convert minimum 2 such roads to national highways which connect all district headquarters, tribal areas and major tourist destinations to 2 national highways.

Shri Chouhan reviewed progress of works of Road Development Corporation. The corporation was directed to make equal arrangements for appointments on contract basis. A fund manager should be appointed through transparent process to institute a gratuity fund for corporation’s permanent employees. He also stressed the need to appoint an independent Director in the Board of Directors. He directed for strict action against agencies not completing work within time-limit or delaying it. He also laid emphasis on constant monitoring for regular realization of toll and premium from corporation’s roads.

The meeting was informed that the Board will identify about 4000 kms long highways and send proposal to the Centre to convert them to national highways. The corporation has spent about Rs. 34 thousand crore to construct 10 thousand 517 km long roads costing Rs. 14 thousand 214 crore while 6 thousand 135 km long costing Rs. 18 thousand 813 crore are under construction. The Board is also working on 113 other projects costing Rs. 1,233 crore.