Jharkhand’s capital project not dead: CM

Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda has assured that the new capital project — the foundation stone of which was laid by Dy PM L.K. Advani — is not dead.

The project figures ‘‘in the agenda of the government’’, said Munda. Minister of Building Construction Raghubar Das echoed Munda’s view and said the project entails building three wings of the government, with a new secretariat, Assembly, Raj Bhawan, CM’s residence, apart from homes for ministers, MPs and MLAs and officials. ‘‘These will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore,’’ said Das. Earlier, former CM Marandi had termed it as the greater Ranchi project and had constituted the Greater Ranchi Development Agency to implement it.

After Marandi quit, Das reportedly told the press that the government had given up the capital project. Even Munda, who was opposed to this project, was asked to comment on the fate of the Greater Ranchi project he had asked: ‘‘What is this greater Ranchi project?’’

This had reportedly annoyed a dominant section of the ruling BJP, including Marandi, making Munda and Das retract their statements. ‘‘This is a new state. But we are working from old buildings on which we were paying Rs 10 as rent every year. A modern capital is a must,’’ said Das.