No respite for Rabri, Nitish

The minister8217;s reply was wearisome even to Suresh Pachouri who had initiated the debate and later, took the Chair. He repeatedly asked Nitish to conclude his speech.

The House passed a resolution condemning the violence in Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra and resolved to fight parochial tendencies.

In the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister sparked off a row, calling upon the Rabri government to tone up its apparatus to use funds effectively. The rap came as he issued a statement on development assistance for Bihar.

RJD members Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Kanti Singh rushed to the well, protesting against Vajpayee8217;s remarks. Speaker Manohar Joshi turned them away, saying the Prime Minister8217;s statement could not be questioned.

Vajpayee asked the state to rehaul its machinery for completion of new projects worth over Rs 2,500 crore, which have been identified for infrastructal development. 8216;8216;The government needs to gear up its machinery so that the fund allocated under various schemes is utilised and intended benefits flow to the state,8221; he said.

He enumerated new projects worth Rs 2,531.35 crore for Bihar. The Centre would release Rs 1,000 crore per year for completion of the plans, he said.