BJP slams JD(U) for 'misleading' people about fund reduction

Patna, Dec 1: BJP today slammed the JD(U) government for allegedly misleading people that the Centre was making cutbacks in funds for Bihar, saying that the state failed to utilize the money allocated to it under various schemes.

The state government has been 'misleading' the people about the NDA government slashing funds to Bihar. Actually, it has failed to utilize fund that has been released so far this fiscal, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement.

Bihar lagged behind other states in construction of new roads and the condition of old roads were poor as the JD(U) government failed to utilize funds under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), he said.

The state has utilized only Rs 1,270 crore against the Rs 1,460 crore released so far under the PMGSY in 2014-15, the former deputy chief minister said. Only 25,711 km road has been constructed while the target was 47,849 km for the current fiscal, he said, adding that the state government has managed to upgrade only 5,579 km of old road as against the target of 7,235 kms.

On construction of approach road for 27,184 habitats fixed for 2014-15, only 12,715 habitats have been connected with approach road by October, Modi said. He alleged that the road construction department has failed to constitute a dedicated work division in the department for construction of roads under the PMGSY since 2012.

Top JD(U) leaders, including Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and his predecessor Nitish Kumar, recently attacked the NDA government at the Centre for discriminating against Bihar by slashing central funds to the state under different schemes.

PTI