Finally, Nitish Kumar welcomes PM Modi's Bihar package

Patna: A month after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar defeated BJP in Bihar assembly elections; he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his much publicised financial package on Tuesday.

It was the first time Nitish Kumar acknowledged PM's Bihar package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore and the additional investment of Rs 40,000 crore, and demanded their sincere implementation for development of the state.

"I welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi's package for Bihar of Rs 1.25 lakh crore with additional investment of Rs 40,000 crore for running projects...from here onwards I would like sincere implementation of the package," he said in the legislative Assembly on Tuesday while replying to the debate on the Governor's address to the joint sitting of the Bihar Assembly.

Kumar had earlier trashed the Bihar package which the Prime Minister had announced at an official function in Ara (Bhojpur district) on 18 September and had described it as "repackaging of old schemes" during election rallies.

The Chief Minister also urged Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary to constitute a joint committee of the members of the two Houses for monitoring implementation of the package and utilisation of the committed funds against specific projects.

"I leave it to you (Speaker) to constitute a joint committee of members of House of Bihar legislature or the legislative assembly only for monitoring of the implementation of the Prime Minister's Bihar package," he said.

"The choice is yours," the Chief Minister said looking in the direction of the Speaker.

Kumar stressed that no politics should be played in the state's development and said the construction of National Highway (NH), electricity generation through Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) and other schemes would go a long way in fulfilling the state's aspiration for infrastructure.

Imploring the NDA government at the Centre for implementation of the package, he said that it should not only remain on paper, but must be seen on ground.

Brushing aside interruptions by Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar who wanted him to announce bonus for paddy procurement and speak on law and order situation, Kumar completed his 75-minute speech on his dedication to the state's development through implementation of his seven-point commitment with an investment of Rs 2.70 lakh crore over the next five years.

He said that his government will launch specific programmes to boost agrarian development, human resources development, health, education, welfare programmes and road and electricity infrastructure in order to build a developed Bihar in a time-bound manner.

He said that the state government will ensure peace in Bihar and added that the rule of law will prevail at all times.

The Chief Minister made specific commitments like Wi-Fi facility in all educational institutions, reduction of fertility rate through education of girls upto minimum of intermediate level, bringing all students dropping out from schools back to their classes, Rs 4 lakh student credit card for higher education, computer literarcy programme for students and making them conversant in English language, besides skill development for their employability.

Among other commitments, he said that the state goverment will provide electricity to all households by next year and also supply water through pipeline.

The Chief Minister said that the state gets power from generation plants in Bihar and the central quota apart from purchasing from private distributors to meet the ever-increasing demand.

He said that the state government will construct pucca roads in habitats with populations of 250 and connect pathways within villages with concrete roads so that people do not have to soil their legs while going from one place to another as was the case in the rural areas now.

Kumar said that the implementing agencies have to be strengthened to enforce his seven-point commitment. The implementation will be monitored by a cabinet committee headed by the Chief Minister himself.

Kumar also reiterated his demand for grant of special status to Bihar to fast-track economic development in the state saying that the special measure has helped in development of all eleven states accorded the special status by the Centre.

The funding pattern for the special category states are still divided in the ratio of 90:10 between Centre and the concerned states in implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), he said. The grant of special status will leave Bihar with adequate cash in hand for development and welfare works which at present goes into meeting the state commitment's to share cost of implementation of the central schemes in Bihar.

Stating that both houses of Bihar legislature had passed resolutions twice demanding special status, he urged the Centre to consider the demand otherwise it would take 25 to 30 years at present the growth rate for the state to become a developed one.

Hailing the NITI Ayog report which stated that Bihar registered 17.6 per cent growth rate in 2014-15, the highest among all states, the Chief Minister said that he will not be satisfied till the state makes over eight per cent contribution to the country's GDP.

Bihar's contribution to the national GDP has increased in recent years reaching 3.39 per cent last fiscal, but it was still small and the state must contribute 8.2 per cent to the GDP to showcase its development, the Chief Minister said.

On the Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar's persistent demand for announcement of Rs 500 bonus (per quintal) for paddy procurement, a Rs 200 rise from last year, the Chief Minister said that the state government has taken no decision yet on the issue.

"As far as I am concerned, no state government has announced bonus for paddy procurement this year so far," he said and refused to accept Prem Kumar's assertion that Jharkhand government has announced Rs 290 (per quintal) bonus for farmers.

Hitting back at the BJP for raising the issue, the Chief Minister recalled that the Centre has not yet implemented the Prime Minister's poll announcement for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farm produce at one and half-times above the input cost comprising 50 per cent profit to the farmers.

"Let the Centre keep its word on the enhanced MSP on farm procurement," he said and termed it as a "betrayal" to the farmers.

The Chief Minister said that his government will enforce liqour ban from April 1, 2016 and the Public Grievance Redressal Act will be tentatively rolled out on May 1, 2006.
The senior JD(U) leader made a swipe at the BJP for high pitched electioneering during which some BJP leaders had said that the NDA will sweep the polls even if US President Barack Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif campaigned for the Grand Alliance.

The CM also took a potshot at the BJP for saying that firecrackers will be burst in Pakistan if Grand Alliance won the polls saying that it indeed swept the polls, but firecrackers were burst in Chandigarh and elsewhere in the country.

(With inputs from PTI)