Nitish blames Centre for fertiliser crisis in Bihar

Patna, Nov 12 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed concern over the fertiliser scarcity in the state and blamed the UPA government at the Centre for the situation.

Mr Kumar told newspersons in the weekly ''janta durbar'' that revising its earlier policy, the Centre had advised the states to select their own agencies for importing the required fertlisers from abroad. He said the state government had selected the Indian Potash Limited (IPL), a public undertaking of the central government for the purpose.

He, however, said import of the fertilisers were related to the foreign trade and should have been handled by the Centre which should have realised the requisite funds from the states for the purpose.

Mr Kumar said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was scheduled to visit the state few months back but his programme was postponed at the last moment, adding agriculture was on top of the state governmnt's agenda.''During my recent meeting with Prime Minister, I have urged him to visit the state soon to explore the possibilities of exploiting the agriculture potential of Bihar,'' he said.

He said 500 acres of land had been identified at Bihta in Patna district for establishing an IIT institute while a Central team had also found the plot suitable for the purpose. ''Process of acquisition of land has already begun,'' he said adding that the Bihar government was prepared to provide building and bear the expenses if the Centre was willing to make the proposed IIT functional from the next academic session itself. He rubbished all apprehensions of shifting the proposed IIT to some other part of the country.

The Chief Minister assured to pay the exgratia of Rs one lakh and a dwelling unit each under 'Indira Awas Yojna', already announced to the next of the kin of the ten people killed in mass lynching by the villagers at Dhelphorva village of Vaishali district few months back.

UNI