Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today asked for allocation of sufficient funds for the ongoing projects and introduction of new trains in the state.
Talking to reporters in Patna after arriving from New Delhi, Kumar said he met the railway minister yesterday and apprised her of the need of allocating sufficient funds in the forthcoming Railway Budget for the completion of the ongoing projects in Bihar.
Kumar said he had also written a letter to Banerjee urging her to make provisions for sufficient budgetary allocations for executing the pending projects and introduction of new trains.
"I have sent a list of important sanctioned projects for Bihar which are yet to be completed" , he said.
Kumar said there were several projects sanctioned earlier which had not not made expected progress due to insufficient funds.
The state government, he said, would provide all necessary assistance to railways for completion of these projects.
The list of 19 pensing projects include Harnaut workshop, Patna Ganga rail cum road bridge, Kosi bridge, setting up wheel manufacturing plant at Chapra, diesel locomotive manufacturing unit at Marhaura, greenfield electric loco manufacturing factory at Madhepura, rail-cum-road bridge at Munger and doubling of tracks in the remaining blocks on Patna-Gaya section.
The chief minister also renewed his demand for deployment of 70 additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for Bihar to intensify operations against naxalites and assist in controlling crime.
"Bihar at present has only 23 CRPF companies," Kumar told reporters in Patna.
Though the law and order situation was satisfactory, there was a necessity for deployment of 70 additional companies of CRPF for intensification of operations against Maoists, he said.
He reiterated his suggestion for centralised procurement of sophisticated arms, ammunition and equipment for state governments under the Centre-run modernisation of police force scheme.
Kumar lauded the work being done by the Special Auxiliary Police in Bihar, besides the Special Task Force (STF) of Bihar police and District Armed Police in operations against the Maoists and maintaining law and order.
"The Naxal situation in Bihar remains under control. We have implemented a surrender and rehabilitation policy as well as various operational strategies to tackle the menace of extremism," Kumar said.
In a bid to counter Naxalism, he said, the state government had launched 'Sarkar Janata Ke Dwar' programme in various districts.
He also asked the Centre to consider a one-time grant of 100 per cent financial assistance for construction of police stations located in Naxalite-affected districts.
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