Bihar CM Nitish flays opposition over ruckus in Rajya Sabha

PATNA: CM Nitish Kumar was on the same page with PM Narendra Modi with regard to the agriculture reforms Bills passed by Parliament on Sunday. Nitish strongly condemned the opposition members for creating ruckus in the Rajya Sabha during the passage of the Bills.
“The opposition have a right to put across their viewpoints and stand on the Bill, but what they did in the Rajya Sabha was not right,” Nitish said.
He said the opposition members had tried to resort to similar tactics in the state when his government abolished the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act in 2006.
“We told them all the benefits that the farmers of the state would get once the Act is abolished,” Nitish recalled and also narrated the bitter experience of a farmer when he had gone to the marketing yard at Hajipur with his banana.
Nitish said his government abolished the APMC Act when the NDA government came to power in the state in 2005. “Now, what we did then is being also implemented in the country. Farmers will benefit from contract farming. He will get the return at the minimum support price (MSP) and he can also get it at the higher market rate,” he said.
Nitish also expressed happiness at the launch of the digital infrastructure, besides pointing out that the roads and mega bridges whose foundation stones was laid by the PM should be completed in time. “So much has been done in the road sector. The roads have also been taken up as part of the PM package. One gets the feeling what more can be done,” Nitish said, adding that the road constructed along the India-Nepal border should also be converted to four-lane.
He assured the PM that people would support him for the work done in favour of the state. “I can assure you that people of the state are happy, because they want the work to be done,” Nitish said, adding that those who are in the habit of criticizing would continue to do so.
Among others who also spoke on the occasion were Union ministers V K Singh and Raj Kumar Singh, as well as deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi (SuMo). Raj Kumar Singh presented the work done under the Union power and other ministries, adding that people were happy at the improved power supply in the state and “are with you.”