Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday slammed the Nitish Kumar government for not providing money to 17 lakh students for purchase of bicycles and buying of uniform to 1.5 crore students for the year 2016. "As a result of fund crunch due to prohibition what to talk of providing money under famed bicycle and uniform plans, the state government has slashed the budget on this head this year to Rs 681 crore for 2016-17 against Rs 1081 crore in the last fiscal," Modi said in a statement. Watch what else is making news: He further alleged that the state government which had waived mandatory clause of 75 per cent attendance for availing benefits under the two schemes keeping in view state elections in 2015 has reinforced it again this year. "It has been done to deprive maximum number of students from availing benefits out of bicycle and uniform schemes," Modi said. "Considering election the state government had provided money to students under the two schemes in July-August 2015 itself. But for the year 2016, despite the session having begun in April, the amount has not been distributed till January 2017," the former Deputy Chief Minister said. The academic session 2016 would end in next two months, he said. "The two beneficial schemes for students of government schools which was launched during the time of JD(U) and BJP coalition government is slowly and gradually inching towards closure," Modi said making a blistering attack at the grand alliance government headed by Nitish Kumar.
