Allocation of portfolios PM’s prerogative: Nitish

He, however, criticised alliance partners for airing their demands publicly and said such matters should have been sorted out in the right forum, that is coordination committee.

Yeh gathbandhan ki sarkar hai aur ismein kuchch bandhan to hona chahiye (It is a coalition government and allies should be bound by certain norms), he added.

Kumar was, however, appreciative of these problems saying each coalition partner had a direct relation with the BJP before the elections and the coordination committee came only much later. But public display ofdifferences raised doubts about coalition politics even though it had come to stay in the country.

“Pressure groups work in every party and it is but natural in a coalition government, but the Samata Party has never acted as a pressure group,” he said.

Asked about the reported demand by Samata MP, Abdul Ghafoor, for being made a minister, he said it was an internal problem of his party and was not posing any problem to the Prime Minister.

Replying to a question, he however, said the Samata on its strength has a case for greater representation in the ministry.

Kumar said he had no talks with Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee but the position with regard to railway projects in West Bengal including Eklakhi-Balurghat line had been explained at length.

Land had been made available for only 14-km stretch and on that work had made good progress.

The West Bengal government had to acquire land for the next 14-km stretch and he had himself taken up the matter with Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. Afterthe project was defrozen in 1993-94, his ministry had now given it top priority.

Mamata had threatened to withdraw support to the Vajpayee government recently over the Eklakhi-Balurghat project issue.

Kumar said an amount of Rs 35 crore had already been spent and Rs four crore provided in 1998-99 for the construction of Tamluk-Digha new line project which will connect the tourist resort of Digha.

Other demands raised by West Bengal MPs and MLAs during an all-party meeting he had with the state leaders in November last had been speedily addressed to, he said.

The Howrah-Trichy express would be introduced soon once the works of Madras Egmore station were completed. On increasing the number of EMUs in Calcutta, Kumar said increase in number of trains was a continuous process subject to operational feasibility and resource availability.

“Railways under him cannot be charged with lacking in initiative any where or undue favour to any region,” the minister added.