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Samata still wants Jharkhand state, but will not compromise Bihar's interests

Railway Minister and Samata Party leader Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said though his party stood for the creation of a Jharkhand state, it would not compromise on Bihar's overall economic interest.

He demanded a special package for the development of the state's northern and central regions which, he said, have been "neglected" for long.

In an exclusive interview to United News of India, Nitish Kumar said his party was totally committed to a Jharkhand state, to be carved out of South Bihar which is industrially developed and rich in minerals. ''There should be no misunderstanding on that,'' he said.

He said no government had been sincere in providing a long-term solution to the problems of North and Central Bihar, which had been ravaged by floods and drought.

The minister said the party's national executive, scheduled to meet in New Delhi on April 25 and 26, would take a ''definite stand'' on the Jharkhand issue. The party would formally submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee demanding a special financial package for North and Central Bihar.

The Samata Party leader said Bihar should be adequately compensated in the event of forming a separate state as the mineral rich belt would go to Jharkhand.

He said North Bihar had fertile land. If properly harnessed, the region could compete with Punjab and Haryana. What was required was proper water management and deciding the course of rivers in a joint venture with Nepal. The thermal and hydel power stations, which had become white elephants, needed to be nursed back to health financially.

Nitish Kumar described as ''lopsided'' the Ganga water sharing agreement with Bangladesh -- this had further jeopardised the interests of Bihar.

Speaking about the nomenclature of the new state, he said Jharkhand was identified with the people of the region, while 'Vananchal' was part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's vocabulary.

UNI

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