Ranchi, Nov. 22: The Arjun Munda Cabinet today loosened its pursestrings yet again, sanctioning Rs 755 crore for a six-lane Ring Road around Ranchi that would make travel to the capital a lot easier.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting this evening, Cabinet secretary Aditya Swaroop said the proposal of the road construction department was given the go-ahead.
According to the proposal, a Ring Road, covering a total of 85.085 km, would be built around Ranchi by 2006-07. The project cost is estimated at Rs 755.26 crore.
The road will be divided into seven sections comprising nine major bridges, 31 small bridges, 233 culverts, seven flyovers, three railway overbridges and a railway underground bridge. The Ring Road encompassing the capital will start and end at Kahtitarh on the Ranchi-Daltonganj National Highway 75. The road will cut through Karma on the Ranchi-Jamshedpur National Highway 33, Tatisilwai, Rampur, Tupudana, Setio and Lalgutwa.
?The road construction department will spend Rs 203.89 crore from its coffers while the remaining amount will be managed from external sources,? Swarup said.
Once complete, the road is expected to ease the load on Ranchi?s already burdened roads. Trucks coming from other cities will then be able to take a detour via the Ring Road and will not have to enter Ranchi. The capital already has a bypass and the Ring Road will also act like one and make driving in the congested city a bit more comfortable.
The Cabinet decision comes days after the move to provide rice to all below poverty line families at Rs 3 per kg for four months.
If that was targeted at rural voters, today?s announcement is being seen as a sop to the urban electorate which deserted the BJP in the Lok Sabha poll.
Besides the road bonanza, the Cabinet also recommended to the Union government the inclusion of Khangaars, synonymous with Mundas, in the list of Scheduled Tribes and Qadars, Nonias and Korangas in the Scheduled Caste list.
The Cabinet also decided to include Laits, Bagtis, Punais, Pushpnits and Jhoras in the extremely backward caste category while Sadgops, Bairagis and Piekes will be placed in the backward caste section.
Swarup said the recommendation to the Centre for inclusion of the castes was taken on the basis of proposals of the Tribal Research Welfare Institute.
Sources said the proposal related to the inclusion of Kurmi and some other castes could not be placed in the Cabinet despite Munda?s assurances earlier because the personnel department was still processing the cases.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved two instalments of Rs 15 crore totalling Rs 30 crore to be given to Damodar Valley Corporation to clear its Rs 313-crore dues.
