Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Rs 1.65 lakh crore calling it as merely remaining a promise, on Friday came out with his own set of funds ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
While the package announced by the Prime Minister focused primarily on infrastructural development such as roads and highways, the one released by the Bihar Chief Minister talked mostly about youth and other basic amenities such as sanitation, drinking water and electricity.
Taking a jibe at the PM's special package, Kumar told a press conference here, "Unlike the much hyped package which is nothing but repackaging of old schemes, my (Rs 2.70 lakh crore) vision comprises programmes which are doable and I have worked out mobilisation of resources for it."
"Its my 'dil ki baat' (talks from heart) and not 'maan ki baat' (talks of mind)," Kumar said.
The plan has been termed as ‘Viksit Bihar ke 7 Sootra', which roughly translates to 7 keys for a developed Bihar. Apart from the financial schemes, the plan promises 35% reservation for women in government jobs.
Special emphasis has been given under the schemes to youth who are jobless or need funds for education. An allowance of Rs 1000 each has been announced for those between the age of 20-25 and are jobless. It also calls for education loans up to Rs 4 lakh each at an interest of three per cent for class 12 passouts.
Apart from these, a fund of Rs 500 crore has been allocated for youth who want to launch their own ventures.
Total sum allocated for youth-centric schemes Rs 49,800 crore.
One of the schemes launched by the Bihar Chief Minister also allocates Rs 55,600 crore to ensure that every household in the state gets 24-hour electricity in the next two years.
All houses in rural and urban areas would be connected with drinking water pipeline in next five years, the Bihar Chief Minister said.
A total of 1.95 crore households in rural areas and 16 lakh in urban areas would be benefitted by this, he added. The project would cost Rs 47,700 crore in five years.
Likewise, all houses in rural and urban areas with concrete sewage at an estimated cost of Rs 78,000 crore, he said.
All the villages and habitations would be connected with all weather roads further from the point where Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna stops, Kumar said.
Kumar said the state government would build toilet in every household which does not have it. An estimated 1.72 crore toilets would be constructed in rural areas and 7.52 lakh in urban areas for all categories of population as part of the exercise at a cost of Rs 28,700 crore.
In addition to this, 5 new medical colleges would be established in Bihar. Besides, there would be an Engineering college, women ITI and para-medical institutions in every district, he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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