Nitish creating obstacles in Railway Projects: Lalu

Patna, Oct 11 (UNI) RJD Supremo and Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was creating obstacles in the railway developmental projects.

Speaking to newspersons here, Mr Prasad said, ''Mr Kumar is creating stumbling blocks in the execution of railway projects and is trying to hinder the schemes on some pretext.'' The Railway Minister added ''it is unfortunate that the state has a Chief Minister like Nitish Kumar who had asked his bureaucrats to go slow in the implementation of the railway projects.'' He referred to the recent letter of the District Magistrate (DM) of Darbhanga requesting him to cancel the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Darbhanga-Kusheshwarsthan rail line in view of non-acquisition of land and another such programme, pleading the constraint of floods, he disclosed.

The RJD supremo alleged that there were discrepancies and irregularities in launching railway projects during the regime of Mr Kumar.

He added that majority of the projects, inclduing railway bridge over river Ganga in Patna, rail-cum-road bridge over river Ganga in Munger, Harnauth rail factory, Kosi rail mega bridge project, Navinagar Thermal Power Project, new rail lines of Islampur-Nateser and Sheikhpura-Barbigha-Biharsharif, were launched even without acquiring the land.

Reiterating his commitment for development of Railways in the state, the Minister claimed that he was trying to change the face and image of the state by launching projects worth Rs 15,000 crores.

He also alleged that Mr Kumar was misleading the people in the name of development.

UNI