If UPA II is deliberately Starving Bihar Projects for Funds and Approvals?

06/07/2010

Prateek K Anand

(BiharTimes) Bihar state leadership of congress has been threatening to unleash a barrage of union ministers to educate people of state on what UPA II has being doing for the state. It would be certainly interesting to know from these loud mouths exactly the things they have been doing for Bihar. I will hope that they come prepared with a comparative formal report on what they have been doing for Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamilnadu vis a vis Bihar. And yes, they should tell us the specific things which UPA II has done particularly for the benefit of Bihar. At the least, they should respond to the state leadership’s allegation in regard to the following:

Why the central government amended sugarcane policy exactly when Bihar has been getting large number of proposal for Ethanol production? Wasn’t this done at the behest of Mr Sharad Pawar to safe guard interest of his own home turf?

Why Mr S P Jaysawal has been sitting on the proposals for coal linkages for power projects proposed to be set up in Bihar. On the other hand why he and his predecessor in UPA I have been so generous in case of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh?

Why there has been so slow progress and rethink on setting up of the two Steel Processing Units at Gaya and Hajipur?

Why Mr Subodh Kant Sahay has to set up National Institute of Food Technology and Entrepreneurship Management at Haryana and not in Bihar? Why he didn’t take up setting up of a Mega Food Park in Bihar?

Why Union Minister of Road and Transport has reduced Bihar NHDP III (Planned as Four Lane Program) roads in two lanes while he has upgraded his home terrain road under NHDP IV (Planned as two lanes Program) into four lanes? Also, why he has failed to reimburse state investment on upkeep of NHs ?

Union HRD has set up IISER and even Abdul Ghani Khan Chaudhary Institute of Technology in west Bengal, why it has not ventured to set up more central institutions in Bihar despite of known shortage leading to large scale out migration? Central government could have very well set up a Babu Jagjeevan Ram Institute of Technology in Sasaram.

Why Dr C P Joshi has been withholding fund to central agencies executing PMGSY work in Bihar? It has been revealed that these agencies are not able to take up the projects for want of adequate funding from his ministry? Congress leaders please do tell us where do you see state governments hand in subverting this? Same is the story on the various other programs under his ministry. One can pick up and compare the generosity shown to Rajasthan and AP and contrast the same with Bihar.

And off course, we have this strange case of railway. Railway has put up ‘Socially Desirable Projects’ for private participation in large number. No surprise most of these projects are in Bihar and not a even single one from West Bengal. Some of these visiting ‘dignitaries’ should please tell us if they really expect any private investor would ever be so willing to participate in ‘such’ Socially Desirable Projects. If yes, then how?

Pranab Da has been quite generous in promptly allocating Rs. 1000 crores to West Bengal in face of Aila and also a special package to Bundelkhand Region (given the stake of Mr Rahul Gandhi). On the other hand, Bihar was put through so much grind for Rs 1000 crore it got for battling Kosi disaster. And off course, there has been no reconstruction and rehabilitation package on the line of Earthquake and Tsunami affected regions. FM could make provisions for handloom region in his home state and Tamilnadu in the last budget but could not see the plight of Bhagalpur City lying very much in neighbourhood of his constituency.

Would Mr Sachin Pilot & MR Jyotiraditya Scindia would be kind enough to tell what they have done for Bihar? Mr Scindia’s ministry is actively considering setting up two more Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Why does not he venture to set up one such institute at Patna when state is having so acute shortage of central institutions? Mr. Pilot, would you tell us why you have not started a CDAC regional center in Bihar as yet? At least, you people could have made this small contribution towards putting Bihar on development path.

Off course, this list is pretty long………

If they don’t wish to respond to these queries, so be it. Let them at least unveil a vision and a plan for economic regeneration of Bihar. Even if they take up a few projects here and there for now, it will show up the well meaning intentions of Delhi Sultanate.

Both Center and State are accountable to people for their works and this is the distinguished feature of indian democracy. People have right to know the fact as to what state and central government have done for their development. Irrational expectation by people from central government give chance to central representative to highlight weakness of state government. How can people of Bihar expect funds equal to funds allocated to developed states given its contribution to center in form of tax and other sources. I think that Nitish's demands for special package for Bihar was not based on what Bihar had given to center but only one reason which was reasonable that Congress government had deprived Bihar in its long rule over Bihar. Now it was time to pay back to people of Bihar. If congress government think that they have poured enough funds for development of Bihar doesnt mean that special attention was given to Bihar but it is a sort of atonement. In
fact more need to be done for Bihar as this is like drop in ocean so present congress should expect accordingly in coming election. But at the end of the day people have to decide about Nitish performance and how far congress has been able to satisfy people of Bihar. I think Mr Nitish should accept invitation by congress of open debate and undoubtedly it will be center vs state in stead of JDU vs Congress since thereby people of Bihar and other parties will have sufficient reasons to make their future course of action and this is what true taste of strong democracy.

Mumtaz

Now the truth is open, Central govt.'s consistent neglect towards Bihar's Development shows how much the congress party is concerned towards Bihar and it's also claiming to expose the Nitish govt. on the centrally allocated fund. Whatever fund has been allocated by the central govt. is only for social security measure not for development projects. Social Security Fund help only to live with poverty but it doesn't eliminate poverty. For the elimination of poverty, one needs economic development and the article by Mr. Anand clearly shows how much careful is the central govt. towards economic development of Bihar.
By withholding the Bihar's project, central govt. wants that Bihar should always remain in the backwardness and at the cost of bihar, it is developing other states where it finds loyalties. There is a lot of evidence of central govt's apathy towards bihar, that is the reason why we still not have any central university or institution in the state, while every year we produce a lot of talented person in the various field. This neglect of congress party is not of today, but it has been continuing from the decade of 70s and the sad thing is that the people of Bihar are still not aware of the fact. So, it is necessary that all the biharis should unite and come forward and demand our share which is for long due.

THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH !
State governments have to stop treating UPA II like yet another welfare program. Among center and state governments , who subsidized whom is a tricky enigma. They go hand in gloves and scratch each others back. They both divide the booty they earn in the form of natural resources and tax revenues. It's methodologically difficult to measure net taxation, but the studies that have been done suggest that, contrary to the belief of some, state governments are big time net tax collectors.
Mr.Prateek complains suggest that the Centre should send a million times more to Bihar annually than it receives every year, or at least an increased share in tax resources..
The Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh examples are particularly instructive. They are sometimes presumed to benefit from disproportionate state spending as a result, but the reality is quite different.One needs to delve deeper into the background of the media reports.In case of Bihar it is a serious example of sheer lack of courage to speak out loud.First deserve then desire!
South Indians face more bias than Biharis yet they get united in their legitimate demands and make sure to receive their share of central funds.The truth behind our alienation is not the centre's prejudice against Bihar but our own lack of unity , integrity and the desire to change.Look at what happened when the Biharis went rallying against the price rise.They shamelsessly began fighting over the posters of Modi and Nitish. So where is the agenda my dear ?
Blame it on our poor leadership and poorer presentation skills. What really seems to impact one's perception of a community much more than knowing an individual is having a positive opinion of that community's distinguishing characteristic, which in this case is our divided openion and cheap selfish motives.
The UPA II finance ministry is ready to study the funding recommendations by the government of Bihar.But the pointing question is : Do we really know what and how to recommend ? Because If we did , the ( though illegitimate ) madarsa funding proposal would not have ended up in minority welfare ministry instead of the ministry of HRD.
ARSHAD MOHSIN

Shame on UPA Govt. When the election is due, they are trying to send one minister every week to criticize the state govt. administration. What work have they done for people of Bihar in last 6 years? They must be prepared to answer these questions. We have been fooled for 60 years but its enough now.
Bihar could have implemented 10,000 MW of power. But, we haven’t been able to implement any of the proposals as the Centre has not been giving us any coal linkage. After Bihar’s bifurcation, all the coal mines went to Jharkhand. Also, the thermal power stations need water. But when Bihar Govt. applies to the Centre for environment clearance, one more condition is imposed: not to use water from the Ganga. The reason is that there are international commitments with Bangladesh on the Farakka barrage. Though UP and Uttarakhand are using the Ganga’s water, but we cannot. Bihar received proposals to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore for setting up ethanol plants. Ethanol is prepared from sugarcane juice and is blended with petrol. The Centre, however, issued a circular that requires ethanol to be prepared from molasses (a sugarcane by-product), not directly from sugarcane juice. So, obviously protecting the Marathi Ministers.
How can companies pump in money if the Centre’s policies put in constraints? Reliance Industries bought the Motipur sugar mills for ethanol conversion. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation bought two sugar mills and is investing Rs 1,000 crore in them. But due to centre’s negative policy towards Bihar, these companies are withdrawing the projects.
UPA Govt. is good for the state where Congress is ruling but not goods for others or not atleast for Bihar people as if we do not exist for them. We are being neglected again and again. We are not given our due. Lets wake up and teach them the lesson.

Ram Nivas Kumar