PATNA: Much before Christmas, Union ministers of Bihar are playing Santa Claus by going on an announcement-making spree. Close on the heals of an agreement of a thermal power plant at Nabinagar in Bihar's Aurangabad district, Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan announced that Rs 28,000 crore would be spent for revival of fertiliser factories including the one in Barauni.
He also announced setting-up of steel plants in Mahanar in Vaishali and West Champaran districts. Not to be outdone, Union minister of state for water resources Jai Prakash Yadav announced a 'gift' for Bihar as well. He said that the technical advisory committee of the Union water resources department had approved a proposal to the tune of Rs 2064 crore for flood control management and better irrigation facilities. "This is the biggest gift given to the state and will help fight floods in 18 flood-prone districts in North Bihar," he said.
Yadav, of course, thanked railway minister Lalu Prasad for the 'gift' to Bihar. Incidentally, the state government signed an MoU with NTPC for another thermal power project at the cost of Rs 10,000 crore at Nabinagar in Aurangabad apart from reaching an agreement of expansion of Kanti Thermal plant in Muzaffarpur. Railway minister Lalu Prasad, on his apart, declared that he had brought projects worth over Rs 15,000 crore to Bihar. "If the state government allows them to be implemented the financial equations of Bihar will change", he said. However, politicking has already begun.
"The Nabinagar project is an old project and was already inaugurated by Nitish Kumar as railway minister. According to the previous arrangement the share of the state was much higher. Lalu's motive is not for development, but make empty announcements," said JD(U)'s spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari. Bihar's energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav has already warned that the state would not give land to the railway's for the Nabinagar project if the state's share of energy is not assured. "The remark of power minister smacks of ignorance. Instead of being thankful to the railway minister, the state government is resorting to criticism and threats", remarked RJD leader and former power minister Shakeel Ahmad Khan.
Politics and projects go side by side. In the past NDA government gave major projects like an ordnance factory in Nalanda, a super thermal power project in Barh and a railway bridge over Ganga in Patna. The railway minister has announced diesel and electrical locomotive factories, a sleeper manufacturing units and a wheel manufacturing in Bihar. All projects are running behind schedule or waiting acquisition of land. "Somebody should ask why the factory has to be set up in Madhepura where the railways does not won a single acre of land and not in Katihar where the railway owns over 1200 hactares of land," said a railway official. The "gifts" announced by ministers will take quite some time to reach the people.
He also announced setting-up of steel plants in Mahanar in Vaishali and West Champaran districts. Not to be outdone, Union minister of state for water resources Jai Prakash Yadav announced a 'gift' for Bihar as well. He said that the technical advisory committee of the Union water resources department had approved a proposal to the tune of Rs 2064 crore for flood control management and better irrigation facilities. "This is the biggest gift given to the state and will help fight floods in 18 flood-prone districts in North Bihar," he said.
Yadav, of course, thanked railway minister Lalu Prasad for the 'gift' to Bihar. Incidentally, the state government signed an MoU with NTPC for another thermal power project at the cost of Rs 10,000 crore at Nabinagar in Aurangabad apart from reaching an agreement of expansion of Kanti Thermal plant in Muzaffarpur. Railway minister Lalu Prasad, on his apart, declared that he had brought projects worth over Rs 15,000 crore to Bihar. "If the state government allows them to be implemented the financial equations of Bihar will change", he said. However, politicking has already begun.
"The Nabinagar project is an old project and was already inaugurated by Nitish Kumar as railway minister. According to the previous arrangement the share of the state was much higher. Lalu's motive is not for development, but make empty announcements," said JD(U)'s spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari. Bihar's energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav has already warned that the state would not give land to the railway's for the Nabinagar project if the state's share of energy is not assured. "The remark of power minister smacks of ignorance. Instead of being thankful to the railway minister, the state government is resorting to criticism and threats", remarked RJD leader and former power minister Shakeel Ahmad Khan.
Politics and projects go side by side. In the past NDA government gave major projects like an ordnance factory in Nalanda, a super thermal power project in Barh and a railway bridge over Ganga in Patna. The railway minister has announced diesel and electrical locomotive factories, a sleeper manufacturing units and a wheel manufacturing in Bihar. All projects are running behind schedule or waiting acquisition of land. "Somebody should ask why the factory has to be set up in Madhepura where the railways does not won a single acre of land and not in Katihar where the railway owns over 1200 hactares of land," said a railway official. The "gifts" announced by ministers will take quite some time to reach the people.
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