Special plan for Bihar to provide substantial central support: RS told

Replying to a query in Rajya Sabha whether government was intending to increase the total central government expenditure for Bihar the minister said “as a state component of the Backward Regions Grant Fund, there is a special plan for Bihar which provides substantial central support on 100 per cent grant basis. During 12th Plan (2012-17) the central government plans to increase the assistance to states including Bihar.”

He said “Bihar’s per capita total central transfer during 2011-12 was Rs 4,751, which is above the average of total transfer to general category states of Rs 4,358.”

In another reply he said that Bihar’s per capita total expenditure was much lower than the national average and the average expenditure on general category states. “Besides the devolution and grants recommended by the Finance Commission, Union government also provides plan assistance to Bihar through central assistance for state plan and centrally sponsored schemes,” Shukla said.

In yet another reply he said government has set up a National Transport Development Policy Committee (NTDPC) to assess the transport requirements of the economy. Its major objective is “to assess the transport requirements of the economy for the next two decades and to recommend a comprehensive and sustainable policy for meeting the transport requirements keeping in view the comparative resource cost advantages of various modes of transport.”