New Delhi, May 15 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today dubbed Lalu Prasad as a man who speaks too much, days after the RJD chief called him a "parrot" of RSS and BJP "Lalu is badbola (one who speaks too much). We don't comment on people who speak too much. There are some people, who are in the habit of speaking something or the other all the time. I don't reply to them," Kumar told reporters.
He was responding to a question about Prasad's comments in Patna a few days back in which the former Chief Minister had dismissed Kumar's posturing against Narendra Modi and dubbed him as a parrot of RSS and BJP.
The Bihar Chief Minister is here to discuss the annual state plan with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Alhuwalia.
Kumar met Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the morning.
Later, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh called on him at Bihar Niwas.
The meeting took place at a time when Congress sees a potential ally in JD-U after the next Lok Sabha polls.
After the meeting, the Chief Minister as well as Ramesh said that they discussed issues like road construction in Bihar under Prime Minister Grameen Sadak Yojana and MNREGA wages.
Kumar demanded that the Centre give money for construction of toilets under Indira Awas Homes. Ramesh said it was a "good proposal", which can be considered.
The Union Minister also promised to look into the demand for wage increase under MREGA in Bihar as it is one of the six states, where the wages are less.
Kumar told him that the minimum wage of MNREGA is Rs 138, while the state pays its labour Rs 162 a day. In MNREGA, the Centre-state ratio is 90 percent and 10 respectively but due to low wages fixed by the Centre for MNREGA workers, Bihar has to pay 30 to to 40 percent of the share of wage payment.
The rural development ministry had approved construction of 6,000 km road in Bihar under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) during financial year 2012-2013 at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore.
This was the double the target length of road from the earlier 3,000km per year.During the meeting, Kumar urged Ramesh to release funds meant for this to Bihar besides giving mroe funds for constrution of another 4000 kms of rural roads in the state.
