Replying to a debate on the first supplementary demand of the education department budget of Rs. 16.33 crore, he said that the Centre has not yet granted sanction for setting up the AMU study centre at Kishanganj.
The state government has made available required land for the study centre to the AMU administration nine months ago, but construction works are yet to begin as the Centre was yet to grant sanction for the proposal in this regard.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had raised the issue at the CM meeting with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal in June this year and though the latter had assured Kumar that an annoucement will be made soon, nothing has been heard as yet.
Shahi said that the centre has released only Rs. 1851 crore to Bihar against the latter's share of Rs. 7230 crore for the state's budget of Rs. 11,123 crore in the fiscal year 2011-12 for construction of basic infrastructure and related programmes for primary education under the Sarv Shikha Abhiyan (SSA).
He said that the project approval board has okayed Rs. 10,615 crore for the SSA in Bihar for 2012-13 which included the provision of Rs. 818 crore under the 13th Financial Commission and the Centre was required to contribute Rs. 6368 crore as its share.
Shahi urged the latter to release funds for the ongoing fiscal and that of the last year to enable the state to improve primary and secondary education in state.