Arun Jaitley Says Government Will Go All Out to Support Bihar in a Big Way

Stanford (California):  The Centre will go “all out” to support Bihar in a “big way” and the government is likely to announce projects and schemes within a few weeks, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the US today. But he ruled out it was a pre-election gesture.

During the question-answer session after his address to the students at the Stanford University, Mr Jaitley, who is on a visit to the US, said, “We are working on assisting Bihar. If you wait for literally a few weeks, you may hear something from the Central government.”

“Why hasn’t your government planned for Bihar?” a student had asked, to which the minister replied, “When we support a state, we do not look from the point of view who rules the state… if a state needs a certain amount of support, we must give it.”

Bihar, Mr Jaitley said, has two great resources. “One is water, as a result of which its agriculture is quite good. Second is human resources.”

But over the last two decades, the state has suffered a setback, as a large number of people have left in search for education and jobs, the minister said. Besides, Bihar has not been able to “exploit its (potential for) tourism, including its religious tourism,” he said. “Also, its universities need to be propped up a lot.”

Now the state needs infrastructure. “It needs roads. It has two airports Bodh Gaya and Patna. Both of them are in terrible situation.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister said, has repeatedly said that states in the eastern part of India are relatively less developed. “Therefore they must get a better share of support.”

Citing an example, he said Odisha and West Bengal benefited from the policy of handing over the coal money to state. “I think, it is good that these states in the eastern region required to be supported,” Mr Jaitley said.