The ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ project is a flagship project of the West Bengal government to strengthen road infrastructure and enhance connectivity to villages by constructing 12,000 km of roads in 22 districts of the state.
Kolkata ,UPDATED: Mar 28, 2023 23:43 IST
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ project in West Bengal’s Singur on Tuesday.
By Rittick Mondal: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ project in Bengal’s Singur on Tuesday. ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ is a flagship project of the West Bengal government to strengthen road infrastructure and enhance connectivity to villages by constructing 12,000 km of roads in 22 districts of the state.
The project was announced by state finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya while presenting the Budget in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on February 15. Nearly 30,000 villages will benefit from the project.
Also Read | Mamata Banerjee urges President Murmu to protect constitutional rights of people
A senior officer of state Secretariat told India Today, “As part of the ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ project, 12,000km of roads will be developed in 22 districts of the state. Bengal will get 7,219 new roads while another 1,548 roads will be upgraded. Over 29,475 villages across all gram panchayats will be covered by roads.”
The scheme will also ensure employment generation. While addressing a public meeting in Singur, Mamata Banerjee said, “We have decided to build 12,000km of roads. We will employ job card holders enrolled under the MGNREGA scheme for the construction of roads. This way, we will construct roads as well as provide employment.”
Also Read | Trinamool joins Congress’s ‘black shirt’ protest days after Mamata’s ‘TRP’ jibe
During her address, Mamata Banerjee also attacked the Centre for increasing the price of LPG. “The rice that we give to the poor for free costs Rs 1,149 to cook as the Centre has increased the price of LPG,” the TMC supremo said.
She also attacked the Centre for not releasing funds to West Bengal. “It is not Delhi’s money we are using for this project, it’s state fund. It was our fault that we supported the GST. We thought it would be good for us”.
“I came to Singur today because I will start a dharna at Ambedkar statue for two days from tomorrow (Wednesday) to press the demand for releasing funds due to West Bengal,” she said.
