Despite Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s growing proximity to the Congress, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday pushed the Nitish Government in corner for one of the worst PDS systems in the country. Ramesh also clarified that for special status to the State there should a special tailor and he would come only from the Congress party.
“Bihar’s population is more than Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh but PDS shops are less than the two States which itself indicates its poor story,” said Ramesh. The Union Minister also charged that leakage in foodgrain supply to the State is alarmingly high. “Now, the time has come to bring a change in the PDS network in Bihar to implement the upcoming Food Security Bill in a proper manner,” he added. He also said that after the Food Security Bill, Bihar’s food subsidy and foodgrain allocation would be doubled and “that would not be in any other State”.
After the Food Security Bill implementation, Bihar’s food subsidy will increase from Rs 5,500 crore to Rs 11,500 crore and allocation of foodgrain will increase from 28 lakh tonnes to 56 lakh tonnes, informed the Union Rural Minister while addressing mediapersons in Patna. “Bihar will benefit most under the Food Security Bill which will be introduced after a few months,” he added emphatically.
Significantly, while taking dig at the Bihar Chief Minister’s consistent demand for special status to the State, the Congress leader and Union Minister said that for this there should be a special tailor who will come only from the Congress party.
“Vishesh darje ki liye vishesh darji ki jarurat hogi aur woh sirf Congress party se hi aayega,” said Ramesh putting a big question mark over the growing proximity of Kumar to the Congress party. Of late, both Kumar and the Congress had stopped attacking each other throwing enough hints that both may chalk out some tacit political and electoral understanding in the wake of RJD chief lalu Prasad’s incarceration in a fodder scam case.
Earlier, when Union Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram had visited the State, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had extended his unusual courtesy to see him off up to the State Congress headquarters Sadaqut Ashram. However, reacting over Ramesh’s charges of worse PDS condition in the State, State Food and Consumer Protection Minister Shyam Rajak said that he was surprised to hear all this from the Minister’s mouth.
“He must not have checked facts properly,” said Rajak. When asked about the main players in the upcoming general polls, the Union Minister said it would not be a fight between the Congress and the BJP but “the Congress and the RSS”. Meanwhile, the State BJP too took a dig at what the Congress leader had said on the Nitish Government. “The Congress party is guardian of the JD(U) and whatever it says the JD(U) is to follow,” said State BJP leader and former State party president CP Thakur.