Nitish targets Plan panel for Bihar’s backwardness

Sen also sought to know why the much-hyped growth rate could not at all bring down number of BPL families. The Plan panel member also criticised poor delivery mechanism of the state in realising Central funds.

Nitish Kumar,who addressed the valedictory session of Global Bihar Summit,2012,turned to Sen,sitting in the audience,saying: “Do you think only Rs 400-crore agricultural assistance can bring rainbow revolution in Bihar? Don’t you think there should be a four lane between Patna and Gaya? Criticism is all right but it is time the Plan panel opened its treasure a little bit more for Bihar to achieve inclusive growth.” The state,he announced,would implement its 10-year agriculture roadmap worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore from April 1 this year.

Nitish,facing criticism from experts in the past two days for not having done enough to woo big investors,blamed it on “historical neglect” of Bihar since the British regime.

“States in south and west were made islands of investment. Bihar’s flourishing sugar mills took a severe beating with flawed Central policies. Bihar that used to produce 25 per cent sugar of total country production now produces only 2 per cent,” said Nitish,once again turning to Sen and adding that the “job of an economist is also to show the way to go”.

Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi,the chief guest at the final session,lauded Kumar’s leadership but not before reading out an imaginary letter to Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan “detailing complete loss of value in present day politics,now marked by opportunism,personal aggrandisement and vendetta unlike in JP days”.