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CM charge Centre for ignoring states in decision making

PATNA — Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Friday charged the Centre with ruining the very concept of decentralisation of power, saying the UPA government is bypassing states in decision making process.

Decentralization of power should start from Centre to states, which in turn should reach the districts and village panchayats, he opined.

“Nowadays the Centre is bypassing states and without taking them into confidence is making policies sitting in Delhi,” Nitish said while addressing a conference to mark the socialist leader’s birth centenary celebrations here.

He added that all states have their own set of problems, but the Centre is enforcing its schemes on states instead of funding schemes made by state governments.

Speaking on the subject ‘Lohia and Chaukhamba Raj’ organised by Institute of Social Sciences, he said this kind of policy by the Centre is in direct contradiction with Ram Manohar Lohia’s chaukhamba raj concept.

He said that on one hand Centre says that centrally-sponsored schemes should come down but at the same time it is increasing them. It makes schemes and turn them into laws, forcing them on states and then take credit for their initiatives, he added.

“Centre has brought the Right to Education Act, though in Bihar we have also started similar initiatives to encourage girls to attend schools. Centre should fund our schemes but it makes us follow its own schemes,” Nitish complained.

- AGENCIES