24 Nov : Promising several benefits for farmers, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities in the state, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a bonus of Rs 50 on procurement of each quintal of paddy from its farmers.
The Centre has already announced a minimum support price of Rs 850 per quintal for paddy and a bonus of Rs 50.
The total price a farmer would now get for sale of one quintal of paddy would thus be Rs 950 per quintal this season, Kumar told reporters after releasing the report card on the performance of his government titled ‘Three years of development with justice’ of completion of his three years in office on Monday.
Kumar said that the annual scholarship of Rs 10,000 hitherto given to boys and girls passing Bihar School Examination Board with first division would also be extended to students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and extremely backward classes.
Besides, the government would provide Rs 2,500 to the girls aged between ten and 16 years belonging to the minority community completing their training under the state-sponsored ‘Hunar’ programme for purchasing kits for self-employment, he said.
Girls are given training in skills such as stitching and embroidery under the programme.Nitish confident of 2nd term, Lalu cannot be an inspiration
Asserting that the development agenda set by his government was "irreversible", Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said a second term for his government was certain.
"The momentum development has gained during my stint is irreversible and no party can obliterate it from its agenda. There was a leader who once said there was no link between the votes you get and development. He too is now singing the development tune," Kumar said apparently hinting at Railway minister Lalu Prasad while addressing a press conference after releasing the report card on the performance of his government, which completed three years in office on Monday.
"With development forming the core of the state’s agenda and people realising its importance, a second term for my government is a foregone conclusion," Kumar, who released the 48-page report card titled ‘Three years of development with justice, said.
Nitish Kumar government has been publishing a report card on its performance annually for the last three years as a record for posterity.
With the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the victims of the devastation caused by Kosi in five northern districts still a major source of worry for him, Kumar demanded early amendment to the calamity relief fund norms to enable the victims get compensation on par with those of the tsunami, which hit several coastal states a few years ago.
"We demand immediate changes in CRF norms as these are grossly inadequate for carrying out massive reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts as under existing rules a family which has lost its thatched house would get a paltry sum of Rs 2000 crore when, in the case of tsunami, it was Rs one lakh per
house destroyed," he said.