RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbey addresses the news meet in Patna on Monday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Feb. 6: The RJD today slammed chief minister Nitish Kumar claiming that the state government was making false announcements in the agriculture sector.

On the basis of a 2008 announcement made by Nitish, the RJD alleged that nothing had happened in the agriculture sector so far. Quoting the 2010-2011 annual report of the agriculture department, the RJD said on February 17, 2008 Nitish had announced a plan size of Rs 3,757.12 crore for 2008-2012. But only 45 per cent of it was allegedly spent.

The RJD state president, Ram Chandra Purbey, said: “On February 17, 2008, Nitish announced that Rs 3,757.12 crore would be spent on agriculture for 2008-2012. However, the 2010-2011 annual report of the state agriculture department read that only 56 per cent of the money was allotted for agriculture purposes and out of that only 45 per cent was spent.

“It means out of Rs 3,757.12 crore, only Rs 2,095.15 crore was allotted and Rs 1,683.68 crore was spent. This is not what we are telling, it is the report of the state agriculture department which shows the reality and the real face of Nitish who has been fooling the innocent farmers in the name of agriculture roadmap,” Purbey said.

The RJD secretary general and Rajya Sabha MP Ramkripal Yadav said: “Recently Nitish said the government would make a budgetary provision of about Rs 9,000-10,000 crore for the agriculture sector to implement the ambitious agriculture roadmap from April this year. However, just one day prior to the farmers’ congregation of the JD(U) on February 4 this year, agriculture minister Narendra Singh said Rs 1,52,511 crore would be spent on agriculture between 2012 and 2017, which makes it Rs 30,000 crore per year. However, Nitish had mentioned about only Rs 9,000-10,000 crore.”

Yadav added: “The chief minister is saying something, while his minister is quoting something else. How will the farmers believe them? Is the chief minister telling the truth or the minister? If not, then both are lying.”