Patna:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday expressed happiness that the Centre has done away with Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act across the country, and taking a swipe at the critics said some people are speaking on the issue without having any knowledge about it. Farmers used to face a lot of problems earlier as they were not able to sell their produce anywhere in the country due to the Act, Kumar said.
He said the Bihar government had repealed the APMC Act in 2006 itself and there is no chance of restoring it. Kumar, in whose first chief ministerial tenure the decision to end APMC in the state was taken, said those engaged with it have already been accomodated in other government works.
Though the APMC Act has been done away with but it will not have any adverse impact on bazar samitis and mandis, rather they will continue to operate as usual. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that farm bills were not against Krishi Mandi. These mandis will continue to operate as usual, Modi said while emphasising that it was his NDA government which has taken a slew of measures to modernise mandis of the country.
Those who say that new farm bills will abolish mandis are completely telling lies to farmers, the PM had said. Taking a veiled dig at rivals, Kumar said “some people are saying anything on the two farm bills without having any knowledge about them”.
The chief minister was speaking at the launch function of Mukhyamantri Harit Krishi Sanyantra Yojana under which farmers can take farm equipment and machinery on rent from Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS). Kumar inaugurated, laid foundation stones and started works under various schemes/projects,including Patna metro rail project which will be completed in the next five years.
Other prominent schemes for which foundation stones were laid by Kumar during the function held through video- conference were three medical colleges- one each at Vaishali, Sitamarhi and Siwan- and National Dolphin Research Institute at Patna. Kumar also inaugurated State Cancer Institute at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna apart from laying stones for 76 other schemes worth Rs 2814.47 crore of the health department.
Appointment letters were also given to 68 Assistant Engineers of Water Resources Department, e-rickshaws were distributed among 500 people who used to run tonga in Rajgir area (Nalanda). In addition, foundation stones were laid for 200 schemes worth Rs 4733 crore relating to the road construction department.
Expressing happiness over the start of work on the Patna metro rail project, Kumar said the foundation stone of it was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 17, 2019. The work under the project has been awarded to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC).
Kumar said work on the two phases of the Patna metro project will be completed within five years at a cost of Rs 13,590 crore. Talking about the improvements in health sector, he said people must know what happened during the 15 years when they (RJD) were in power and what has happened in during the same period after 2005.
People who ask questions about achievements of the government must answer as what was the rate of immunisation in the state earlier, Kumar said adding it was at a dismal 18 per cent when he took over as CM in 2005 which now has increased to 86 per cent. Infant mortality rate has declined to 32 per thousand from 61 during the NDA regime which is equal to the national average, he said adding that maternal mortality rate (MMR) has dropped to 149 per lakh from 312 per lakh (during RJD period).
The fertility rate in Bihar presently is 3.2 against 4.3 (during the RJD regime), he said, adding the number of patients visiting primary health centres has increased to over 10,000 from 39 per PHC in an year in 2005. Making a scathing attack at the opposition especially RJD and its heir apparent Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav, though the CM did not name him, Kumar said there are people who have the habit of criticising others and talk varied things through tweets, but “they forget their regime (1990-2005). What they did when they got the opportunity to serve the people.
“We worked for masses when we got the opportunity. It is my duty to serve the people as I consider it as my religion. “We will further work for the development of the state if people, who are the real masters (in democracy), give us opportunity to serve them again”, Kumar, who will be seeking fourth term in the office in the upcoming polls, said.
Taking potshots at his bete noire RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Kumar said “I do not believe in promoting ‘pariwarvad’ (dynastic politics). For me, entire Bihar is my family, but for some, family is confined to their sons and daughters. “They see nothing beyond them… They even dont give respect to their party leaders.
The chief minister said this was probably the last function (meant for laying stones, inauguration and dedication) of such kind of the prsent dispensation. Polls are expected in Bihar in October-November.
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, ministers- Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Nand Kishore Yadav, Mangal Pandey, Rana Randhir, Krishna Kumar Rishi, Suresh Kumar Sharma and Sanjay Kumar Jha were linked digitally on the occasion.
