Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday accused the Centre of apathy towards Bihar's progress by not granting coal linkages to the State and hampering the development of its Muslim minorities.
Mr. Kumar reiterated that while the Centre had provided for schools to be opened in Muslim-dominated Kishanganj, proposals for development of education and infrastructure in the other six districts had repeatedly been ignored by the Centre.
“Under the Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP), we had prepared a scheme which proposed to provide 1304 rooms, 751 restrooms and 778 hand pumps to the madrasas of these 6 districts to ensure that basic sanitation and drinking water criteria are met,” he said.
Speaking at the re-induction function of the former Janata Dal (United) defector and former MP Mr. Arun Kumar back into the party fold, Mr. Kumar said:
“What does the Centre want? Do they not care for the basic necessities of these boys and girlsWhen I take up the issues of the minorities, I am being laughed at by the Central Congress leaders stating that I have dialled the ‘wrong number'. They tell me that you are not aware of the right department to submit these proposals,” said Mr. Kumar, drolly adding that “he did not belong to the age of mobile phones, but of landlines and that he personally dialled such calls.”
Criticising the Centre for not according Bihar with a ‘Special Category' status, Mr. Kumar stated while Gujarat was given aid after the earthquake, so were Tamil Nadu after the tsunami and West Bengal after cyclone Aila.
“But the plight of Bihar's Kosi flood victims continues to be ignored,” he commented, adding : “The party [the Congress] has secured only 200 odd seats, but behaves as if it had 2/3rds majority.”
Mr. Kumar, however, roundly refused to comment on BJP secretary and Bihar-in charge, Mr. Ananth Kumar's statements in Ahmedabad on Friday, inviting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to campaign in Bihar for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Alluding to Minister of State (MoS) for power, Bharatsinh Solanki's recent allegations that the State had not fulfilled the parameters for it to be awarded the much-needed coal-linkages, the Chief Minister said: “All the parameters have been fulfilled. The State government is doing what it can to revive the power plants at Kanti and Barauni, but if the Centre repeatedly keeps refusing aid to Bihar by not granting us coal linkages, then how will the State's power situation improve?” he commented.
