Modi's Bihar package is mere repackaging: Nitish

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said the bulk of Rs.1.25 lakh crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as special package for Bihar was "mere repackaging of old schemes" and part of "package politics" before the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

"It is not a special package for Bihar as there is nothing special and new. This is purely a repackaging of old projects and schemes in view of coming polls," Nitish Kumar said at a press conference held at his official residence here.

"A closer look reveals that against the claim of Rs.1.25 lakh crore, at least Rs.1.08 lakh crore-worth of projects is nothing but a mere repackaging of old schemes," he said.

He said such fabricated and false announcement made by a man holding the highest post of the country was something not expected.

He said the package included appropriation of pre-approved allocations for old ones and continued contribution to ongoing schemes, announced by various ministries at different point of time in the past.

"Further, a few new line items, totalling to the tune of about Rs.6,000 crore, are part of the package for which there is not even a shred of evidence of planning or work on ground," he added.

"Thus, in totality, at the very best, the so-called Rs.1.25 lakh crore package will not provide anything more than Rs.10,368 crore as additional or incremental resource to the state of Bihar.

"This, Rs.10,368 crore, too in the absence of a defined timeline or disbursement modalities, hardly means anything to the state," the Janata Dal-United leader added.

Nitish Kumar said: "It is my duty as chief minister to expose the truth and facts of the special package announced by Modi. Now PM Modi should explain to the people about the facts that I have put before the people's court."

The chief minister said he would go to the people with the truth about the special package soon. "It is in the interest of the country's democracy and interest of Bihar and its people to know the truth," he said.

Modi announced the Bihar package on August 18 while addressing a pre-election rally at Arrah.

But BJP leaders are upbeat after Modi's announcement and hope it would give the National Democratic Alliance an advantage over the grand alliance of the Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress in the upcoming assembly polls.