Nitish unveils Rs 306 cr development projects in West

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 58 various development schemes worth Rs 306 crore in the West Champaran district. Addressing a public meeting at Rampurwa high school sports ground located under Mainatand block of the district, Kumar said local people had voiced some problems of the area when he had come for campaigning during Lok Sabha elections. Kumar said the problems told to him have been resolved besides inaugurating and laying foundation stones for schemes which were needed in the area, an official release said. The CM asked people "please do let me know if you have any other problems."

The desiltation work of Triveni branch canal will be completed by January 2020, he said adding the canal's work had to be completed by the end of 2018. Stern action will be taken against officials responsible for the delay in completing the project, he added. The state government has set a target of connecting all the villages and hamlets (Tolas) of Bihar with pucca (metallic) road by the end of next year, Kumar said.

Talking about the incidents of stubble burning in fields of Punjab and Haryana which has caused the problem of pollution in the adjoining areas, the CM said the same practise has started too in this area which is "absolutely wrong". This not only gives rise to pollution but also reduces the soil fertility which ultimately affects productivity, he said. The state government will give 75 per cent subsidy for buying farm equipments like rotary mulcher, straw baler, straw reaper to general farmers while 80 per cent subsidy will be given to farmers belonging to SC, ST and Extremely Backward Caste (EBC), Kumar said.

These equipments will help farmers in cutting,collecting and making bundles of crop residues/stubbles which are normally left in the field after crop cutting by combined harvester, he added. Kumar asserted that piped drinking water under "Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal" scheme will be made available in all the households across the state by the end of next year.

People will get rid off 90 per cent of diseases if they are freed from open defecation besides getting potable water, he said. Stating that the state, which once used to draw 700 MW electricity is now drawing 5500 MW of power supply, the CM said that farmers, who have already made applications, will get power connections for irrigation purposes at the rate of 75 paisa per unit through dedicated agriculture feeder by the end of this year.

Those who made applications after August this year will get power connection next year, he added. Prominent among those who addressed the meeting included Dy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, Minorities Affairs Minister Khurshid alias Feroz Ahmad, water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha and Tirhut Division Commissioner Pankaj Kumar.