PM's intervention for central projects: Nitish

Patna, May 24: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sought immediate intervention of the Prime Minister in clearing two central projects in Bihar, setting aside all controversies regarding their viability.

In separate letters to Dr Manmohan Singh yesterday, he questioned the rationale behind the doubt expressed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas about the viability of setting up a petrochemical complex at Barauni, where a refinery had been in operation since 1964.

Referring to a recent letter to him from Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, where it was mentioned that on the basis of techno-economic ground the idea of setting up a petrochemical complex at Barauni does not merit consideration', Mr Kumar said rather it was necessary to set up such a major unit in Bihar as it would usher a number of ancillary units, generating employment opportunity.

Urging the Prime Minister to give due consideration to the sentiments of the people of Bihar in terms of a balanced industrial growth in the country, Mr Kumar said unless the government took special initiative in setting up major industries in backward states like Bihar, there was little chance that the benefit of the booming Indian economy would reach every corner of the nation.

In another letter, Mr Kumar sought the Prime Minister's intervention and requested him to ask the Planning Commission not to change its previous decision of setting up the prestigious National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) at Hajipur and not in Patna.

The state government has recommended Hajipur as the most preferred site to the Planning Commission after considering several aspects, including hassle-free acquisition of land and availability of other infrastructural facilities.

However, for some reason the Commission decided to set up the Institute in Patna where availability of land was difficult, he said in his letter to the Prime Minister. He also sought Dr Singh's personal intervention into the matter.

Incidentally, Steel,Fertiliser and Chemical Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, during his recent visit here, had announced that the NIPER would indeed come up at Hajipur, his parliamentary constituency, by next year.

More than Rs 30 crores had already been spent for developing basic infrastructural facilities like construction of roads and supply of electricity in the area, he had said.

UNI