Lambasting RJD-LJP and Congress for criticising his government on development, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he would accord top priority to weeding out corruption and ensure human resource development, supply of power and foodgrains to over 1.5 crore BPL households if returned to power.
"They RJD-LJP and Congress criticise us on the development front but do not elaborate on what they did for Bihar during their 15 and 40-year rules," Mr Kumar said at an election rally here to canvas support for BJP nominee and labour minister Awadhesh Narayan Singh.
He flayed the Congress-led UPA at the Centre for allegedly overlooking the BPL households in Bihar. "We had carried out survey in accordance with the guidelines received from the Centre which suggested the number of the BPL households being around 1.5 crore. Unfortunately, the Centre had decided to make available foodgrains at subsidised rates to only 65 lakh BPL households.
"While foodgrains for the poor go waste in FCI godowns, the Centre is least bothered for reaching benefits to all the BPL families," he said.
If NDA is returned to power it will ensure that all identified BPL households receive foodgrains at subsidised rates for which a special scheme would be introduced.
Referring to RJD and Congress claims of changing the face of Bihar, Mr Kumar said "Prasad has the mastery in evading a subject in fun .... He continues to make false statement and his claim that he has reformed himself is nothing but eyewash."
Mr Kumar promised to end corruption by putting corrupt officials behind bars and using their buildings for running much-needed schools. "We have already enacted a legislation which provides for confiscation of properties and houses owned by corrupt public servants."
Mr Kumar said the NDA government under him had improved the power scenario in Bihar by reviving Kanti and Barauni thermal power stations and said more units would be set up. "I promise to light up every village of the state by 2015 — the end of my next tenure."
His government's steps for empowerment of women, specially the decision to provide 50 per cent reservation to them in panchayati raj institutions and urban bodies had been widely appreciated and was being adopted in Kerala where literacy rate was very high, he said.