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Don’t beg for Bihar’s rights, snatch them from Centre, Lalu tells Nitish
Bihar got nothing in 10 years of NDA regime other than ‘empty announcements’, he says
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should “snatch” the rights of the State from the Centre instead of “begging with folded hands”.
Talking about the work done in the Railways during his tenure, the former Railway Minister asked Mr. Kumar what Bihar got in the 10 years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime at the Centre other than “empty announcements”.
Centre’s ‘no’ to special status for Bihar evokes cryptic response from Nitish
He claimed that a lot of work got done in Bihar during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, but the Congress government never engaged in propaganda.
“Nitish Kumar made his face shine a lot with the support given by us during the UPA period because we did not do propaganda but did groundwork. Nitish should tell what Bihar got in 10 years of NDA apart from empty announcements. We got Bihar ₹l. 44 lakh crore aid in just five years between 2004 and 2009 on the strength of 22 MPs, but these people [the JD(U) and allies] with 31 MPs in 2014, 39 MPs in 2019 and 30 MPs in 2024 go to Delhi with folded hands, begging, still they don’t get anything. In the capital [read Delhi], rights don’t have to be demanded, they have to be snatched,” Mr. Prasad said in a post on X.
Wheel plant, a milestone
Mr. Prasad said the rail wheel plant constructed at Saran during his tenure was yielding rich dividends and generating employment in Bihar. “I am happy to inform you that a record number of more than two lakh rail wheels have been produced at the plant located at Dariyapur in Saran. I laid its foundation stone on July 29, 2008, when I was the Railway Minister,” Mr. Prasad said.
Talking about the benefits of the wheel plant, Mr. Yadav said it had reduced the dependence of Railways on foreign countries. “I am happy to inform that the Bela wheel plant established by us in Bihar is playing its role in making the country self-reliant. The construction of the Rail Wheel Plant, sanctioned in 2004-2005, started in July 2008. It was a significant step taken by us towards reviving industrialisation in Bihar. This was the first time in the history of Indian Railways that a highly sophisticated factory was set up in the country without any foreign collaboration. This was possible due to the in-house capability and expertise of the railway engineers,” Mr. Prasad said.
He also talked about the challenges while setting up the wheel plant. The area was surrounded by rivers and was flooded, despite that with willpower, the authorities overcame all the difficulties and inaugurated it, he said.
With the RJD being the second largest party in the UPA-1, Bihar got special financial assistance of ₹1.44 lakh crore for development works between 2004 and 2009 with the support of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, he said.
Owing to the support received from the UPA-1 regime, the Bihar government built rural roads, railway stations, bridges, electricity, railway lines, a network of railway factories in Saran and Madhepura, and provided employment under the MGNREGA, he said.
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Rashtriya Janata Dal
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