PM says Nitish Kumar apathetic to poor

PATNA - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Bihar government, saying it had not implemented centrally-funded welfare and development schemes meant for the common man.

“Due to neglect and apathy of the Bihar government, centrally-funded welfare and development schemes failed in the state as the benefit hardly reached the common man,” Singh told an election rally in the Narpatganju assembly constituency in Araria district.

The prime minister began a day-long campaign Saturday for the October-November Bihar elections, asserting that the Congress was working for the common man and was committed to the development of Bihar.

He said funds provided by the central government to the state were not utilised properly.

“The Bihar government has failed to spend funds properly which resulted in lack of progress and development,” he said.

Manmohan Singh refuted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s charges of step-motherly treatment to Bihar.

“The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government has provided adequate funds to speed up the development of Bihar.”

He said the central government has provided a special package of Rs.1,000 crore per year to Bihar for development needs.

“We had provided Rs.6,000 crore in the last six years for improving irrigation, health, education and other facilities for the poor,” he said.

He said the state government was not spending the central funds. “It has tried to misguide the people by naming centrally-funded schemes as its own schemes,” he said.

Bihar goes to polls Oct 21-Nov 20 to elect a 243-seat assembly.