Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday flayed the >Rs. 1.25 lakh crore “special package” announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the development of Bihar.
While giving figures of each and every sector with fund allotted, Mr. Kumar asked “What is special in the special package?”
“After a thorough study of the special package it was found that out of the total 1.25 lakh crore only Rs. 10,868 crore increment was given to the State while the rest are all of the old projects which have already been declared or running in the State”, Mr. Kumar said.
“There is nothing special in the special package. It’s a package of politics,” alleged Mr. Kumar while addressing media persons at his residence on Wednesday morning.
While giving details of the fund allotted and the projects running in the roads, electricity and railway, Mr. Kumar asked “How could a person sitting on the highest level of the country make a mockery of the faith of the people of Bihar?”
Referring to the skill development and Digital India programme, Mr. Kumar said, “How could Bihar be out of these programmes meant for India? Is Bihar not a part of India? What is special about it?”
He also added that as a Chief Minister it was his responsibility to expose the realities behind the package announced by the PM.
“I’ve put this into the court of people and now it is up to them to take a decision,” he said.
He also asked, “If such a huge package - about 1 per cent of the total GDP of the country - has been given to Bihar, why was there no ripple in the Union Finance Ministry over it? There was no word from their side.
“PM Modi has auctioned the faith of the people of Bihar through his special package declarations”, he said.
He added further that, “It is poll time in Bihar and the special package has been announced just to mislead people of the State. It’s a package of politics”.
While referring to the ongoing people’s movement in Gujarat for reservation, Mr. Kumar said “He should now look at what is happening at Surat in Gujarat these days instead of changing the surat (face) of Bihar”.
Mr. Kumar also said he has already extended his support to the ongoing movement by Patel community for OBC reservation in Gujarat as like any other part of the country, “they too deserve it.”
“They (the State government) have to provide them reservation sooner or later”, he said.
