Cabinet approves Rs 12,000-cr Package for Bihar

The Congress-led UPA has decided to play its cards to woo Nitish Kumar and JD(U) ahead of the 2014 polls. The Union Cabinet has approved a package of Rs 12,000 crore for Bihar under the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF).

It could be recalled that Bihar had received just Rs 5,500 crore during the previous plan period. So, the Rs 12,000-cr package is seen as a significant change in Centre’s stand on Bihar. However, Nitish Kumar had sought a Rs 20,000-cr package for his state this time.

On the contrary, Odisha received just Rs 1,250 crore package for the development of its backward regions, including the KBK.