Misuse of centrally-sponsored schemes: Sonia’s attack exposes Nitish

25/08/2010

Patna,(BiharTimes): Chief minister Nitish Kumar strongly refuted the allegations made by the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, that some of the state governments, in particular, Bihar, are taking credit by giving different names to the centrally-sponsored schemes. Even the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Chaudhary Mahboob Ali Quaisar, openly challenged the chief minister to come for open debate in Gandhi Maidan.

Nitish has repeatedly accused the Centre of ignoring and neglecting Bihar and always dubbed the central government funded schemes as the interference in the state’s autonomy.

But a run-down of the performance of the state government reveals that whatever Bihar has achieved in the last about five years is simply due to those very centrally-sponsored schemes. On the contrary so far the state government departments’ own achievements are considered the less said is the better.

Perhaps nothing exemplifies this fact better than the success of central schemes like National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojana, Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan, Mid-Day Meal etc.

It is true the primary health centres have undergone a big change in the last four years in Bihar as well as in the country, but the fact is that this is simply because of the NRHM and not because of the Nitish Kumar government, which in the last about five years could not improve the condition of the prestigious Patna Medical College Hospital. All the money for medicines, equipment and payment for doctors made on the contractual basis in the primary health centres come from the Centre. Thanks to the bureaucratic red-tapism in Bihar these contractual doctors get money after nine to 10 months.

On its part the state government can not even appoint enough doctors for its six medical colleges. Not to speak of other medical colleges of the state just make a round of the bylanes beside the Patna Medical College Hospital and one would get the idea of the hellish condition. And according to the governmetn’s own admission in the state Assembly last December over 500 patients died of the strike by doctors in the last four years––a record of a sort for the state, and may be the country. The chief minister himself was so much fed up that in June 2008 he threatened to close down the PMCH if the doctors do not return to work.

Yes thousands of para-teachers have been appointed but that was simply possible because of the 75 per cent share of the central government under its Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan scheme. Apart from that not a single teacher has been appointed notwithstanding the Suprme Court ruling in this regard.
It is easy to take credit for the establishment of the IIT, branch of AMU and Central University of Bihar, and Nalanda International University. The truth is that all these are central government institutions and the state government can not take the credit by just allotting land after much dilly-dallying. Nalanda International University is the brainchild of the former President, A P J Abdul Kalam and the Centre constituted a Mentor Group headed by Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen. The Parliament even passed a Bill in this regard recently.

On its part the condition of education in the state has only deteriorated with teachers and non-teaching employees going for the strike for the fourth time in the last five years. University, college and school teachers can be seen protesting against the non-payment of salaries for months.

The state government opened a few engineering colleges when the fact is that Polytechnic teachers are taking classes on casual basis in its two old and established engineering colleges in Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur. About the new one the less said is better.

True roads and bridges have been built in the state in the last four years. But how can the state government disown the role of the Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojana in connecting villages having population of over 1000 to the block headquarters. Similarly, it is a fact that the central government has increased its grant for the National Highways. Besides, how can the construction of East-West Corridors and Golden Quadrilateral etc (through Bihar) be ignored and counted as the state government’s achievements.

So far the performance of other centrally-sponsored schemes like NREGA is concerned the less said is better. Instead of explaining the failure in guaranteeing rural employment the chief minister would argue that the Centre is curtailing the autonomy of the states by interfering in their functioning.
What a strange argument it is: if the central government schemes have succeeded than it is Nitish Kumar who had done it. If it had not blame the Centre.
And finally when it comes to deteriorating power situation the state government is quick to blame the Centre for not providing coal-linkage to the upcoming power plant, which is yet to see the light of the day. But what are the old power stations in the state doing? Producing nothing. What about people taking to streets in Patna’s busy Ashok Rajpath demanding replacement of transformer, which went out of order a fortnight back? Should the Centre do that?

It is indeed highly unfortunate on the part of the Government of Bihar which always seeks to communicate people for her so called lead role in establishing institutions of higher education in the stae. Just one example, The Nitish Government has unilaterally decided that the Central University will be established only in Motihari. Motihari has already been rejected by the site selection committee of MHRD, Govt. of India. Now, the whole prospects of establishing Central University is being jeopardized. The university has no scope to provide academic facilities to students at its current campus located at BIT, Patna. The constant correspondence between the state and the centre regarding location of CUB has harmed the very growth of the University. Further, Motihari is the most unsuitable place for locating a India level University. No faculty will go there for teaching. Further, modern technology based lab can not be located in Motihari. There is noting in the name of facilities there. THIS IS THE STORY OF MR. NITISH AND HIS SO CALLED PROMOTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN BIHAR. THINK IT IN JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
Nishikant

So at least this time you accept that something has happened in the last 5 years otherwise your hate-Nitish compaign would never have allowed you to accept that.

Where were these people 5 years back? Bihar had been brought to its nadir not in matter of days but years and years of neglect and exploitation (of it's caste system).

Whatever happens to this government, Nitish etc. One thing is for sure , future generations would never forgive people like you for the canard and lies you try to spread with your concocted brand of 'Honest Journalism'.

You should must take notice of the falling standards of this site. From a promising news portal of 4 years ago it has come to this level of becoming a personal blog of a person with a pre-conceived notions and ideas.

Alok

The article seems to be a sponsored one. The tone and tenor of the article is of a congressi who wants to score a point against the present compensation in the state. If it is a paid news/views it should have been classified in that category. I sincerely request you to check the articles posted on this prestigious site. Please stop befooling 'aam' visitors of this site.