'All villages to be linked with metallic roads by 2020'

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said that all the villages and hamlets would be connected with metallic roads by next year. The target forms part of "seven resolves" which the state government has adopted as policy of good governance. Construction of all-weather roads in every villages and the tolas (hamlets) is being done under "Tola Sampark Yojana".

"Under Saat Nischay (seven resolves), tola sampark yojna would be completed by the year 2020," Kumar said in an official release after conducting a review meeting of the Rural Works department here. "Our aim is to provide connectivity to the people by linking villages and tolas with roads. The quality of roads should be maintained and monitored regularly," Kumar said.

Kumar's much talked seven resolves schemes aims at making younger generation self-reliant through education, skill development, education loan, electricity connection to all villages, providing piped water supply to every household, road and drainage in the urban areas.

The CM was joined at the meeting by RWD Minister Shailesh Kumar, Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar, Development Commissioner Arun Kumar Singh, CM's Principal Secretary Chanchal Kumar, RWD Secretary Vinay Kumar, CM's Secretaries- Manish Kumar Verma and Anupam Kumar Suman- among others. Population is increasing and so is the number of vehicles, Kumar said adding the new road maintenance policy aimed at upkeeing quality of the roads.

Stressing on the need to pay special attention on maintenance of bridges, the CM directed the Chief Secretary to finalise a policy to this effect by holding meetings with the departments of Road Construction and Rural Works. In order to increase the green cover of the state, the CM asked the officials to plant saplings alongside the roads.