Indian Express: Patna: Friday, May 12, 2017.
Bihar’s
ruling Janata Dal (United) on Thursday called the Rs 1,25,000 special package
announced for the state in August 2015 a “political stunt” saying that the NITI
Aayog has no information about it. The party cited a reply from the Aayog’s
financial resources division to a query under the Right to Information Act to
activist Mohammed Iqbal Ansari on April 26 to question the authenticity of the
package.
“It is to be
stated that the financial resources division does not have any information
requested in the application except the press release dated 18th August 2015 of
Prime Minister’s Office on Prime Minister’s special package…,” a JD(U) press
release quoted the RTI reply as saying.
JD(U)
spokesman Neeraj Kumar referred to the RTI reply and sought a clarification
from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on whether the special package for Bihar
exists. He noted that an official press release was issued on the package and
wondered why the NITI Aayog did not have any clue about it.
Another JD(U)
spokesman Rajiv Ranjan added that the Prime Minister had discussed the Bihar
package in his Man Ki Baat radio programme as well.
BJP leader
and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi told The Indian
Express that a special cell in the Prime Minister’s office has been monitoring
the special package work in Bihar. He added that the departments concerned were
submitting monthly work compliance reports over it. “It is not necessary for
the NITI (Aayog) to have all these details. Ganga bridge (Patna) renovation,
proposed Patna-Ara-Buxar road, Deendayal Jyoti Yojana are all parts of the
Bihar package. The
fund is being
released to every implementing agency in a phased manner,” he said.
The PM had
announced the special package during the Bihar assembly election campaign.
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