Nitish okays Rs 800cr plan for Muslims

PATNA (TNN): In an important decision in the light of JD (U) parting ways with the BJP recently, the Bihar cabinet on Tuesday OK'd a sum of Rs 800.30 crore for the development of minorities under the centrally-sponsored Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP) in 75 blocks and eight towns with concentration of minorities, spread over 20 districts of the state. The amount would be spent during the 12th five-year plan (2012-13 to 2016-17). Currently, the MSDP programme is operational in seven minority-dominated districts - Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, West Champaran, Sitamarhi and Darbhanga - for which a sum of Rs 219 crore had been allocated in the 12th five year plan. Of this sum, the central share was about Rs 173 crore while the state's share was Rs 46.03 crore Talking to media after the cabinet meeting here, cabinet secretariat department's principal secretary Brajesh Mehrotra said an additional 20 districts will be brought under the ambit of the programme in the current financial year, for which the Centre has agreed in principle to provide Rs 332 crore. He said the amount would be spent for the development of madrasas, schools and distribution of scholarships among students belonging to the minorities. MSDP is a special area development programme being implemented by the Union ministry of minority affairs for the benefit of minorities. However, its benefits go to non-minorities also. The primary objective of the programme is to improve the parameters which resulted in the identification of the districts as backward and to bring them at par with the national averages. In another major decision, the cabinet approved the home department's proposal to create 25 additional units of Special Task Force (STF) in order to contain the onslaught of left wing extremism in the state. Each STF unit would be headed by a DSP-rank official. A total of 1167 police personnel would be included in the 25 STF teams. A total sum of Rs 49.45 crore per annum would be spent on them. In a major boost to private investment in the energy sector, the cabinet gave its nod to the proposal of a Kolkata-based firm, M/s Response Renewable Energy Limited, for setting up a 25MW solar power unit in Nawada district at a cost of Rs 425 crore. The cabinet also gave its approval to the proposal of the home (special) department to set up a judicial inquiry commission to investigate the recent police firing at a village under Naurangia police station in Bagaha police district. A retired Patna high court judge, Rajendra Prasad, would head the commission, which will submit its report in six months. It also OK'd the proposal to give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of Munna Singh, a resident of Jamui district who died in police custody in PMCH on Monday. The cabinet also approved a sum of Rs 384.35 crore to the Bihar Horticulture Development Society for implementation of schemes under the agriculture road map.