More funds to be sought for rural roads

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state will seek more funds under the Prime Minister’s Grama Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for development of rural roads in the state, Rural Development Minister K C Joseph said here on Wednesday. Launching the state-level e-tender system relating to construction of PMGSY roads, he said that though the Centre had allotted funds under the scheme, the state had not been able to utilise it in full so far.  Even in the absence of  allocation of  sufficient funds from the Centre, the State Government had allotted sufficient funds in the budget for rural roads, he said.  E-tenders will be invited for construction of 303 roads included in the second batch of the seventh phase. The e-tendering system will enable bidders to submit their tenders from anywhere in the state for any listed rural road. Rural Development Commissioner G Padmanabha Pillai, chief engineer K Sundaran and NIC State Informatics Officer K Santhanaraman were among those who attended the function.