Gram Sadak Yojana: MLAs Raise Complaints Over Rejected Road Proposals; Officials Under Fire in Central Meeting

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The implementation of the Gram Sadak Yojana has hit a rough patch, with several MLAs raising serious concerns during the Central Government’s DISHA Committee meeting.
MLA Sanjana Jadhav from Kannad alleged that proposals submitted under the Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana were not being approved by the concerned officials. MLA Ramesh Bornare from Vaijapur also supported her complaint, saying that the officers were unresponsive — even refusing to answer phone calls.

District Collector Dilip Swami was advised to instruct the officers to at least update MLAs and MPs over the phone. It was later announced that a detailed inquiry into the officers’ performance would be conducted, and a report would be submitted.

Population Criteria Causing Proposal Rejections

MLAs complained that villages with populations below 500 were automatically being denied benefits under the Prime Minister or Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, a rule applied since 2020.
However, many smaller hamlets and settlements have seen significant population growth since the 2011 Census, but proposals continue to be rejected based on that outdated data.
“Why hasn’t the government been asked to remove this criterion?” several members questioned, while officers reportedly remained silent on the issue.

Crop Insurance Criteria Also Under Scrutiny

During the meeting, another issue came up regarding changes to crop insurance provisions.
Officials informed that earlier, private company Cholamandalam handled insurance payments and disbursed funds to eligible farmers.
However, the government’s own insurance company has now modified key rules — removing the clause that allowed 25% interim compensation in case of mid-season adversity.

When questioned on why these norms were changed, the discussion became heated. To defuse the tension, Committee Chairperson Bhagwat Karad and Minister Subhash Bhumbre quickly moved on to the next topic.