Centre raps Bihar for slow horticulture plan implementation

Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today shot off another letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not utilising funds under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM).

"While an amount of Rs 31 crore was released to the state for implementation of the National Horticulture Mission programme during 2005-06, the state government has transferred only Rs 3.02 lakh to the district mission committees," Singh said.

"The state is lagging in the implementation of every programme under the ministry. The NHM is just one example, where after an outlay of Rs 115.3 crore for 2006-07, the state has not reached anywhere. We have requested the state to furnish a districtwise action plan," Singh said.

Criticising the government for half-hearted implementation of the rural development programmes, the minister said up to September 2006, just Rs 8.93 crore had been spent under the NHM, leaving a balance of Rs 22 crore.

"Keeping in view the slow progress by the state, the agriculture minister has taken up the matter with the chief minister," Singh said.