Date:07/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/07/stories/2009070754781000.htm

National

Bihar not given its due: Nitish

Staff Reporter

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday expressed strong disappointment over the Union budget, saying the word “Bihar” was not mentioned even once during the course of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s budget presentation.

Talking to reporters outside the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Kumar rued the fact that “the land of Kautilya had been not been given its due.”

“I am extremely unhappy that the Centre has paid no heed whatsoever to our oft-repeated demands to grant a special category status to Bihar while the promised package for the Kosi flood victims has simply not figured in their scheme of things,” he said.