PM Narendra Modi Announces Rs. 1.25 Lakh Crore Package for Bihar

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 18, 2015:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced a massive Rs. 1.25 lakh crore financial package for Bihar at a rally, his third in the election-bound state.

   
I announce Rs. 1.25 lakh crore package for Bihar... this will change the fate of the state," said the Prime Minister amid thunderous applause and cheers at a government function in Arrah.
   
An additional Rs. 40,000 crore has been announced for existing projects.
   
On Monday, union minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said, "Wait for August 18; it will be an important day for Bihar when the prime minister will announce a special package for the state,"
   
At a rally in Muzaffarpur some weeks ago, PM Modi had said that he would soon announce a big financial package for the development of Bihar, but did not specify when.
   
Today, he said that he hadn’t made that announcement in view of the Parliament’s monsoon session that was still in progress.
   
Earlier, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the BJP’s main rival in the Bihar elections due by November, had said that he would wait for details before commenting. "I am waiting to see whether the special package will have new projects or merely a repackaging of the old ones," he said.
   
The Chief Minister also said, "it’s a clear-cut violation of cooperative federalism that the state government has been kept in the dark, while BJP leaders are making statements about the PM’s special package for the state."
   
Mr Kumar has repeatedly demanded that Bihar be assigned special category status by the Centre to help develop the poor state. The announcement by the Prime Minister will deny him credit for getting Central funds for the state.
   
In the Bihar elections, the BJP takes on a coalition led by Mr Kumar that includes Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress and other smaller parties.
   
Nitish Kumar ended a long partnership with the BJP two years ago. In the national election that followed months later, the BJP had almost swept Bihar winning 32 of 40 seats.

 

Courtesy: NDTV