Bihar can adopt Maharashtra model for development

Patna, June 29 (UNI) Maharashtra BJP president and former Public Works Department (PWD) minister Nitin Gadkari today said Bihar can make tremendous economic progress through public-private partnership, an exercise which brought spectacular development in Maharashtra the western state when the BJP was in power.

After holding a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Chief Secretary G S Kang and other senior officers, Mr Gadkari told newspersons here that the present rulers in Bihar have a political will, the first and the foremost pre-condition necessary for development of any state or region.

''The state can capitalise on strong political will thus emancipating itself from years of backwardness and desperation,'' he opined.

He said the former BJP government in Maharashtra was successful in making investment worth Rs. 8,000 crore in the construction of roads, bridges and culverts even as the governments equity base was only Rs five crores. Such a 'whopping' sum was arranged through market borrowings and also through fund raised from financial institutions.

Later, Mr Modi told newspersons the government would consider all suggestions made by Mr Gadkari for Bihar's development. He said Mr Gadkari had suggested for collection of toll from big vehicles and also advocated charging cess on petrol or diesel on residents of a particular town for speedy development of their areas.

Similarly, he said, more land could be acquired for construction of roads and surplus land later sold by the government at a higher price to offset the expenditure incurred on construction of roads.

The infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (ILFS) might be engaged in mobilising funds as already done in Chhatisgarh, Maharashtra and other states.

He said the government would not compromise on work quality, adding that it might also consider penalising those who did not complete their work in the prescribed limit while awarding those who completed their work before it.

He said Mr Gadkari also suggested sending senior officers to Singapore or Indonesia to help them acquire or know the latest technology applied in construction of high standard roads.

Bio-diesel plants could be set up on wastelands while tax waived on items like stone chips used in development work.

UNI DH PL/SRC SI VV1927