PATNA: The Planning Commission is holding a two-day meeting of the chief ministers of five states here beginning May 30 with Bihar playing host. CM Nitish Kumar said that the issues related to 12th Five Year Plan will be discussed at the meeting.
He said that like other states Bihar will also put forward its suggestions and demands. “For inclusive growth, the per capita investment should be increased here. Bihar needs more investment in infrastructure, power and other sectors. We will again put forward our demand for special category status to Bihar,” Nitish told mediapersons on Monday on the sidelines of Janata Durbar. A similar meeting had been organized by the Plan panel in 2006 in Kolkata which Nitish had attended.
The CM said that during his Delhi visit he met power minister Sushilkumar Shinde and demanded increase in Central allocation of energy to Bihar. He demanded full allocation for the state and added that during summer time as the supply is further reduced, special measures should be taken to tackle the power crisis.
Nitish said that Bihar`s per capita power consumption was one-sixth of the national average. From the allocation, power is transferred on priority basis to Nepal, the railways and defence installation after which very little is left. He pleaded that the state should get 50 percent of the power generated by the NTPC plants in Bihar.
“We are demanding this because recently the Prime Minister told a delegation of NDA MPs from Bihar that as a policy decision, the NTPC plants have to give 50 percent of the generation to the states where they exist. We should get 50 percent quota from Barh thermal power plant,” he said.
He also demanded 1500 MW from hydel projects in Bhutan and 600 MW from Arunachal Pradesh which has been agreed upon, but now it has been slashed. Shinde promised to look into this demand.
Reacting to development in BJP-ruled Karnataka, Nitish said that the trial of strength should be conducted on the floor of the assembly and the CM should be given an opportunity to prove his majority. “If the Centre makes any interference in this process it will be construed as an attack on state`s autonomy,” he said.
On the hike in price of petrol, the CM said, “The Congress aur mahngai mein choli daman ka sath hai.” Nitish said that soon after the results of assembly elections in five states, the Centre hiked the prices and now diesel, kerosene and cooking gas will also be made costly.
About his visit to China, Nitish said that it is fixed and he would go on a six-day visit from June 13.