Nitish bats for federalism, wants Centre-funded schemes scrapped

Nitish is likely to take up the issue in the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting on June 15. He is also expected to take up the state’s demand for special category at the meet.

Elaborating Nitish’s stand, JD(U) national spokesperson K C Tyagi told The Indian Express, “What the Bihar CM has been saying is in right spirit of federal structure. He wants over 100 Centrally-sponsored schemes scrapped. The Centre should allocate funds and let state governments make policies and implement them. The Centre should monitor and evaluate them.”

Asked if JD(U) is trying to apply pressure on the Centre – the party is a constituent of the NDA government in Delhi – Tyagi said that Nitish had taken up this issue in 2011 and kept speaking about it at several fora.

“What is the point of a having a Central scheme such as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) when the state government has to bear a major share of it? There are several schemes such as MNREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) from the UPA time which also needs to be reviewed,” Tyagi said, adding that the Bihar CM had been also talking about a strong federal structure. “Centrally-sponsored schemes curtail rights of state governments,” Tyagi said.

The JD(U) spokesperson said Nitish would take up this issue “forcefully” in the June 15 meeting of the NITI Aayog. “Nitish Kumar has often stressed that the Centre should focus on broad policy making. There are about 25 departments of Union government having 100-odd Central schemes. Most of them running since UPA regime have been showpiece schemes. Nitish Kumar vouches for decentralised planning and wants the Centre to work as advisory agency. The Centre can fix targets for state governments,” he said.

Tyagi said the Bihar government might also take up the demand of special category status.