13 Oral Answer SRAVANA 11, 1913 (SAKA) Oral Answer 14 to Question to Question SHRI PETER G. MARBANIANG ; Sir, and national security not applicable to I would like to draw die attention of the that portion of the road which is still withr hon. Minister to the? fa d that the. portion the State PWD ? What has the Govern­ of the road which is owned and main­ ment done to take over that portion of tained by the GREF has become an exam­ the road ? Let him please explain. ple of wasteful expenditure of the Gov­ ernment through the contributions of the SHRI S. KRISHAN KUMAR : I have al­ people of Jainthia Hills where one spade ready explained in the beginning that this is held by three people. The road is be­ road was taken over by the Border Roads ing maintained by them there very shab­ Organisation and a particular portion was bily and very badly. I would like to left out and allowed to be maintained by know from the hon. Minister the expen­ the Government of Meghayala because diture involved in this regard. Further, that portion is in the plains. The hilly the GREF, when they take a new align­ portions and the more strategic areas start ment of the road, do not even bother to after this portion and that particular por­ go into the land system of the area. They tion was maintained well by the Megha­ just go and acquire the land without in­ laya Government. That particular por­ forming the District Magistrate of the tion, the Army did not consider necessary area and without informing the owners to take over in 1971. That is why it re­ of the land. They have created havoc in mains with the Meghalaya Government. the Jainthia Hills. I would request the SHRI JITENDRA NATH DAS : Sir, hon. Minister that he should reconsider perhaps, the hon. Minister may be aware handing over the road to the State PWD. that the people of our country who are in the border area bordering with Bangladesh MR. SPEAKER : The question is : Is are being severely tortured by the security the Government going to reconsider it? He forces. turned the suggestion into a question. (Interruptions ) MR. SPEAKER : This is a different issue. He may not have the information SHRI S. KRISHAN KUMAR : Sir, it with him. is a matter of opinion whether the cons­ truction and maintenance of the border COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGE TO roads by the State Government or by the STATE ROADS Army is more efficient or not. We beg to differ from the hon. Member. As far as *270 SHRI DIGVUAYA SINGH : Will the Border Roads Organisation is concern­ the Minister of SURFACE TRANSPORT ed, all works are executed departmen­ be pleased to state : tal ly. We have a large work force on our pay-rolls. There are no contractors and (a) whether the traffic on National very strict stipulations are enforced by the Highway No. 3 was diverted to State roads Army with reference to every single para­ because of damage to Ghorapachar bridge meter in road construction. So, I beg to in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh dur­ differ from the hon. Member as regards ing the last rainy season; the quality of work which, he said, will suffer if it is handled by the GREF. The (b) whether, because of this diversion, Government does’t propose to reconsi­ the heavy traffic damaged the State roads; der its decision as of now: (c) whether the Government of Madhya pradesh has demanded any compensation SHRI BHUWAN CHANDRA KHAN- from the Union Government for the dam­ DURI : Sir, the fact is that a portion of age to the State roads; this road is still with the State PWD. The (d) if so, the amount of compensation hon. Minister has given the reason of demanded by the State Government; and security and operational requirements for keeping the main pdftion o fth e road with (e) the reaction of the Union Govern­ GREF. Is the operational requirement ment thereto? 1 5 Oral Answer to Question AUGUST 2, 1991 Oral Answer to Question 16 THE MINISTER OF STATE OF THE, perty. And only the national highways MINISTRY OF SURFACE TRANSPORT are under my Ministry. We make them; (SHRI JAGDISH TYTLER) : (a) to (e) we lookafter them be it a damage A statement is laid on the Table of the through floods or by other means. But House the States roads are the responsibility of the State Governments. STATEMENT The second part is, the hon. Member is a very good friend of mine, he has been (a) to (e) Yes, Sir. Due to diversion of pestering me and asking me, “can I give National Highway traffic, State Government him some kind of compensation?” I reported some damages to State Roads for would like to inform him, in all humility, which an estimate for Rs. 2000.794 lakhs that I have no money tx> give him. was forwarded to Union Government for compensation. However, the request for SHRI DIGVIJAYA SINGH : My se­ compensation could not be acceded to as cond supplementary is, would the hon. National Highway Funds cannot be utilised Minister propose to the hon. Finance for any road other than a National High­ Minister, the reconsideration on this point? way. If he does not have any Head under the Surface Transport Ministry to pay compen­ sation, he cannot give any compensation. MR SPEAKER : Shri Digvijaya Singh, But the damage to the State property has you should exchange your seat. ( Inter­ to be compensated from the Consolidated ruptions ) Fund of India. It is a constitutional right. Would he consider my request and ap­ DIGVIJAYA SINGH : Sir, it is proach the hon. Finaince Minister to do very unfortunate that the hon. Minister that from any other fund? has treated my question with utter con­ tempt and harshness which a poor Mem­ SHRI JAGDISH TYTLER : I will be ber of Parliament like me, my constituency very happy to do that. If the Finance and my poor State of Madhya Pradesh Minister gives me money, your roads will certainly do not deserve. A bridge on be the first priority on my list the national highway broke down and all the traffic of the national highway [Translation ] was diverted through my constituency DR. LAXMI NARAYAN FANDEYA : damaging the State highways totally. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to know When the State Government presented from the hon. Minister the time by which a bill of damages as a compensation to the damaged bridge which was rendered the Government of India, the hon. Minis­ useless a long back, would be repaired? ter feels that it is unjustified. Even in My second supplementary question is cases where army does its annual exercise whether the hon. Minister has informed in Rajasthan area or in Punjab area, they the State Government that the Central pay compensation to the farmers in a Government would not be paying the damage like this. The hon. Minister must compensation for the damages which the reconsider the decision. I would like to State Government has demanded? Besides, ask, through you. would he reconsider how much amount the State Government this decision of paying compensation? I has demanded as compensation? am not asking for additional funds. It is SHRI JAGDISH TYTLER : Mr. Spea­ a compensation due to the damage of the national highways to the State highways. ker, Sir, I am happy to inform that the Would he reconsider it ? bridge has been reopened for traffic. (Interruptions ) SHRI JAGDISH TYTLER : I have no such Head under my Ministry for paying DR. LAXMI NARAYAN PANDEYA : compensation. Roads are a national pro­ Some portion of it is yet to be repaired. 17 Oral Answer SRAVANA 11, 1913 (SAKA> Orai Answer 18 to Question to Question SHRI JAGDISH TYTLER : I have rep­ Government of Orissa had sent a proposal lied to his question. The bridge has been to the Central Government in this regard, reopened for traffic. The State Govern­ I have also raised this matter in this ment had demanded a compensation of House many times. The national high­ Rs. 20.79 crore from the Central Govern­ way no. 5 originates from Goalpara and ment. lliey know it that we cannot pay runs upto Arau via Jatur. This area flails it. I have already replied to rest of his under my constituency. Its population is points. Besides, I shall write a letter, if 15 lakhs. Though the area is small in not already written to the State Govern­ size, it is densly populated. The traffic is ment expressing our inability to pay com­ heavy and the people will have to use a pensation. We hav© requested the Finance longer route. While going to Goalpara Minister today in the House to allocate from Aradi one has to cross Baitarani funds for this purpose. The hon. Member river. There is also a rivulet, called has also made his request to us through Gudha on the way and a distributary of you. If we get funds, his State would be Brahmani river has also to be crossed. the first to get it. There should be a bridge over it. In fact, the construction work of the bridge has been started but the Orissa Government does not have adequate funds to complete {English] the work immediately. 1 had also made LINKING OF KUAKHIA WITH AVADI efforts to press for the same and as per my information, my hon, friend ............... *273. SHRI AN ADI CHARAN DAS : ( Interruptions) ........ Will the Minister of SURFACE TRANS­ MR. SPEAKER : Please put a ques­ PORT be pleased to state : tion.