Centre-state coordination must, agree Modi & Nitish

Both Modi and Nitish Kumar also underlined the need for better coordination between the state and the centre to ensure proper development of Bihar.

Speaking at the inauguration of the newly constructed Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge, tipped to be the longest in the country, the Prime Minister said: “This project was initiated when Nitish Kumar was the railway minister and Atalji was the Prime Minister. The dream of that time is being realised now.

“Had this not been neglected in last 10 years and work been taken up for it even under routine budget, even then it would have been completed in six-seven years,” Modi added.

He rued that the cost of the project escalated from its earlier estimate of Rs 600 crore to Rs 3,000 crore due to the “delay”.

“This money belongs to people. Some or the other reasons crop up in our country that the process of development gets derailed,” he said.

Leaving aside political rivalry, Modi who has shared a contentious relationship with Kumar in past, also chose the occasion to laud the Bihar Chief Minister’s efforts in taking forward Centre’s rural electrification scheme in Bihar.

Nitish Kumar, on the other hand, hoped that the PM’s this visit will benefit the state. Both maintained that Bihar’s development is necessary for ensuring progress of the country. Nitish also drew the attention of the Prime Minister towards dilapidated condition of Gandhi Setu over Ganga — which connects Patna from North Bihar.

Nitish Kumar had walked out of NDA snapping the 17-year-old ties with BJP over the deemed projection of Modi as prime ministerial candidate of that party in June 2013.