Inadequate funds allotted for national highway works: Mamata

Kolkata, June 29 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the Centre's allotment of Rs 153 crore for national highway works in the state for current fiscal was "extremely inadequate" considering its planned work and "devoid of any justification".

"Our government had sent a draft plan for road/bridge works under National Highways in West Bengal for Rs 1,499.62 crore for the year 2018-19. You will thus appreciate that allocation of only Rs 153 crore against such plan is not only extremely inadequate, but is also devoid of any justification," she wrote to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

She also said the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had allotted Rs 1,605.85 crore in the last fiscal and Rs 2,096.70 crore in the previous fiscal for the state.

However, the allotment of Rs 153 crore was one of the lowest amongst all the states of the country.

"I would like to request you to kindly allot the balance amount for vital national highway works for 2018-19 for West Bengal, so as to ensure justice in the matter and also not to deprive West Bengal," she said in the letter.

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