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| Gross injustice done to Bihar in Budget: Nitish |
| Press Trust of India / Patna Jul 08, 2009, 17:51 IST |
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Alleging that 'gross injustice' was done with Bihar in the Union Budget, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today alleged that the cause of Bihar has been deliberately ignored in it.
Kumar also asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have a fresh look into the demands for special status and rehabilitation package for Kosi flood victims.
The promise for ensuring 'inclusive growth' by the UPA government would remain far-fetched unless Bihar progressed, he told reporters at his office in the state assembly here.
"Bihar is now on the path of development and it needs financial support from the Centre for building a modern india," he said and alleged that the Centre's 'pick and choose policy' of allocating funds to states reflected that the Congress wanted an exlusive growth and not inclusive growth.
Kumar said he would meet the prime minister in near future to seek corrections in the union budget to pave the way for Bihar receiving a special state status and rehabilitation package for the Koshi flood victims.
Lakhs of people were rendered homeless in the Koshi flood after the river breached its embankment at Kusaha in Nepal.
Kumar took a dig at the Centre for seeking refund of assistance it extended to the state for relief to Kosi flood victims. Asked if constitutional norms were violated by the Centre's action, Kumar said, "There can be no doubt about it. The norms are indeed being flouted. The Centre once asked us to pay back the money, rubbing salt to our wounds. Where is the money to be returned? It all went toward providing succour to the suffering humanity."
Kumar said the Centre should extend its financial support to Bihar with the same generosity with which it helped states like West Bengal, Orissa, Gujarat and coastal states in tackling cyclone, earthquake and tsunami.
"But in our case, it has been the reverse. Instead of expeditiously granting our request for Rs 14,800 crore for rehabilitation of Kosi victims, the Centre sought back whatever little that came our way," he said.
Stating that he would not take the "injustice lying down", the chief minister said the NDA MPs would continue to fight for special state status for Bihar and clearing the rehabilitation package for it without any further delay.
Kumar also said the Centre did not give 'a single paisa' to Bihar in 2007 when 2.5 crore people in 22 districts were hit by floods.
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