“It is said there has been good urban development in Bihar... it looks good from outside, but the truth is that money is not being spent on urban development in Bihar. It is unable to utilise central funds,” she said.

The minister said in the transport sector, the Centre has approved purchase of several buses for use in Patna, but not a single has been procured so far. She said Bihar is the least urbanised state in the country and criticised the government for not carrying out reforms in urban development.

She quoted from a recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to state that Bihar had taken up eight projects under the scheme and had not submitted utilisation certificates for any of them.

Replying to the queries from RJD MP, Jagadanand Singh, she said the ministry was ready to release funds as supplementary support from the Centre, but if the state does not submit utilisation certificates, it cannot release the second instalment.”

In contrast Das Munshi praised UP for carrying out reforms in urban development. Of the 33 projects sanctioned in that state, all the four instalments of central assistance have been released for 18 projects.