Patna, Feb 16 (IANS) A question-and-answer session between the ruling and Opposition parties took place in the Bihar Legislative Council on Monday, during which several issues of public interest were raised.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLC Saurav Kumar criticised the state government over the slow progress of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

He stated that against a target of 12.20 lakh houses in Bihar, only around 2.85 lakh houses have been constructed so far, leaving more than 9 lakh houses pending.

Saurav Kumar alleged that the construction work has slowed significantly due to the non-release of funds by the Central government over the past five months.

He further pointed out that although a new mechanism has been introduced for the direct transfer of funds, it has not been fully implemented, resulting in payment delays to beneficiaries.

Responding to the allegations, Rural Development Minister Shrawon Kumar said that the state government is in constant coordination with the Central government to ensure the speedy completion of pending houses and timely payments.

He assured the House that the issue would be resolved soon. However, Saurav Kumar countered that the delay was not recent but prolonged, prompting the minister to reiterate that the work would be completed at the earliest.

During the session, Janata Dal (United) MLC Neeraj Kumar raised questions regarding the timeline for the construction of the Aamas–Darbhanga expressway.

In response, the government stated that the land acquisition issues would be resolved shortly and that the process would be expedited through coordination between the Land and Revenue Department and the Forest and Environment Department.

Additionally, RJD MLC Kumar Nagendra drew attention to frequent accidents caused by the absence of an underpass at Beladih Neemchak on National Highway 22 in the Belaganj block of Gaya district.

Replying to the concern, Road Construction Minister Dilip Jaiswal said that the government plans to construct an underpass at the location soon, and work will commence once approval is received from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Kumar Nagendra welcomed the assurance, stating that with timely attention from the government, the issue could be resolved effectively.

–IANS

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