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Dear
Nitishji,
A report regarding the conflict between your
government and the central ministers are cause
of concerns of many well-wishers of Bihar, who
live outside the state. We get a shock after
reading these news, as these are not such as
some of the funny stories of some unscrupulous
fakes are making news stories on some TV news
cannels that we can overlook.
According to reports, Bihar has emerged as the
largest non-complying state with 36 districts
not complying with the norms for Swarnajayanti
Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), seven districts
not complying with Indira Aawas Yojana (IAY)
norms and 10 districts where proposals for
district rural development agency (DRDA)
administration have not been received. As a
result, the Centre has withheld the release of
the first installment of funds for the current
year.
The Bihar Government has written to the Centre
saying that it no longer requires the services
of Central agencies entrusted to implement the
scheme. It is all because RJD leaders,
particularly Union Rural Development Minister
Raghuvansh Prasad Singh claimed credit for the
scheme and often accused the state Government of
not being pro-active. As reported, the State
Government wrote to the Centre last month that
it had enhanced its road building capacity and
Central agencies need not start new works.
“State Governments are doing it everywhere. The
Central agencies were not efficient in any
case,” claims Nand Kishore Yadav, state Road
Constructions Minister.
However, the enormity of the task is such that
the state Government could have used its
“enhanced capacity” along with that of the
Central agencies. The PMGSY target is to connect
all villages with a population above 1,000 to a
main road. Bihar has to build 25,000 km by 2009
to meet the target of Bharat Nirman. Central
agencies have finished only 1,200 km and work
was under way on another 5,800 km.
I wish the reports were wrong. Why can’t ego of
the politicians be kept under control in
interest of the people of Bihar? All are looking
to you to present a new image of Bihar and
Bihari politician. Be a real statesman, taller
than all that Bihar has produced till date and
give the right lead. Let not some sycophants
mislead you. Both of you should pull together
and serve the home state. Let the work go with
quality and at unprecedented speed. The people
will give the credit to the deserving person and
not to one who speaks loudly.
The whole world is watching your performance.
Your achievements have been rated well. Let
these development plans make the largest number
of the people of Bihar be benefited directly or
indirectly. Let there be more world class
schools, science colleges, and other
professional institutes. If Andhra can have 200
plus engineering colleges, why can’t Bihar? As
an engineer yourself you can appreciate and do
it what others have failed.
I was really so happy to read the news that you
are setting up a help line to aid our brothers
and sisters of Bihar ancestry in Mauritius who
are trying to know about their ancestors and
villages. I wish you should not mind my
suggestion.
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Comments: |
The
track record of central agencies has
been appalling when it comes to
looking after Bihar's interest. A
cursory look at the NHAI map would
show their highways are not designed
to serve the population centres of
Bihar and Jharkhand - Patna.
Bhagalpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, Chapra,
Siwan or Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro,
Hazaribagh, etc. Muzaffarpur is the
exception to prove the rule. For the
rest, Biharis are considered too
provincial to be allowed the
benefits of such modern development.
Hence the issue to me appears one of
protecting the interest of the
state, rather than one of ego. As it
is, the unitary system of governance
followed in India gives huge power
to the centre. Naturally, the state
govts do not wish to erode that
further. - T. V. Sinha - July 11,
2007 |
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