UPA Govt has doubled Bihar's allocation, says Cong

The Congress today said the Centre has doubled its allocation to Bihar since 2004 and alleged that the Nitish Kumar government had poorly utilised the central funds in execution of development schemes.

The Congress on Friday said the Centre has doubled its allocation to Bihar since 2004 and alleged that the Nitish Kumar government had poorly utilised the central funds in execution of development schemes.

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"The UPA Government has been generous to Bihar by significantly increasing allocation of funds under various plan heads and contingency situations, but the NDA government has been criticising the former," Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Chaudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser told reporters here.

The data about the central funds allocation to Bihar over the years and a comparative analysis of which coalition has been more liberal towards the state cannot be undermined by the propaganda being unleashed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said.

Kaiser accused the NDA government in Bihar of "poor utilisation of the central funds in execution of various development projects and welfare schemes."

The two central flagship programmes -- Indira Awas Yojana and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme -- have fallen victim to "corruption raj" of the NDA regime in the state, he alleged.

On allegation that the Centre did not give adequate funds for relief and rehabilitation of flood-affected people following breach of Kusaha embankment on Kosi river, he said that the Centre did provide Rs 800 crore to the state, but the government failed to fully utilise the funds.

Central funds amounting to Rs 182 crore still remain unspent till today, he claimed.

Regarding Kumar's challenge to Congress chief for a debate on the Centre's funding and other assistances, Kaiser said he was prepared to take up the cudgel on behalf of the party high command for such debate with the former at any time and any place.