Nitish Kumar dismisses special package announced by PM Narendra Modi for Bihar

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday tore into the special package announced recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the state, saying it (package) was actually a chimera to lure the electorate ahead of the Assembly elections.

"The BJP leaders were spreading the word fast that the special package worth Rs 1.28 lakh crore will change the face of the state and even the Centre was putting up advertisements claiming it will be a game changer. But on close scrutiny, one can safely say that the package is nothing but a repackaging of old schemes. Of the Rs 1.28 lakh crore package, Rs 1.08 lakh crore, or 87 per cent, of the deal is made up of allocations from the previously-approved and ongoing schemes," Kumar said.

Meanwhile, former BJP president Nitin Gadkari attacked Nitish Kumar for allegedly misleading the electorate of Bihar over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rs 1.25 lakh crore package to poll-bound Bihar.

"Khisiani billi khamba noche," Gadkari quipped to Nitish's alleged barb that the package was "khoda pahad nikali chuhia".