The central government on Thursday criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Rs.1.25 lakh crore special package to the state.
"Modi announced a special package for Bihar... I am deeply pained that Nitish Kumar has not thanked the prime minister for the historical package," Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told media persons after a meeting of the union cabinet.
"The Bihar chief minister had been asking for a package for the state for two years. All Biharis are now happy," he added.
Later, he took on Nitish Kumar again at the BJP headquarters.
"Leave aside complimenting the prime minister, the Bihar chief minister hasn't said a Thank You for such a big and historic initiative," Prasad said.
He also criticised the newly-formed alliance of Nitish Kumar-Lalu Prasad- Rahul Gandhi, saying "everybody in Bihar is happy except these three".
Prasad said the government has issued a notification under Article 32 and 32B of income tax department, which includes 21 districts of Bihar, recommended by the state, through which extra allowances for industrial development will be given.
"This is equivalent to special category status. If he (Nitish Kumar) would have read this, then he would have understood. Industries set up in these districts will be given more than 15 percent as investment and depreciation allowance," he said.
"If you invest more than 25 crore in these 21 districts, the allowances double," the minister added.
Ruling out any politics behind the prime minister's announcement, Prasad said Modi was focusing on the development of the state and the entire eastern India ever since he assumed office last year.
"Modi is not playing politics on the special package. The special package for Bihar is the manifestation of the prime minister's wish to ensure the growth of Bihar. This is part of his larger scheme to make eastern India developed," he added.
Bihar is slated to have assembly elections later this year.
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