Patna, Nov. 23: The Bihar government has protested the reduction of the central share in several development schemes.

It has written to the Centre demanding that the existing fund-sharing pattern between the Centre and the state be retained, else the state will find it difficult to implement them.

The protest comes after the state government received a letter written on October 28 by Union finance secretary Ratan P. Watal to various states, excluding eight northeastern and three Himalayan (J&K, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh), that the funding of 17 "core schemes", which form part of the national development agenda, will be shared 60:40 by the Centre and the state concerned henceforth.

Earlier, the central share for these schemes ranged from 70 to 90 per cent.

Prominent among these schemes are Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural and urban), National Rural Drinking Water Programme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana; Livestock mission, veterinary sciences and dairy development, National Health Mission, National Education Mission, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Midday Meal Programme, Housing for all (rural and urban), National Livelihood Mission, modernisation of police forces, infrastructure facilities for judiciary, and urban rejuvenation and smart cities.

In case a scheme or a sub-scheme in these 17 programmes has a central funding pattern less than 60 per cent share, it will be continued, without raising it to the 60:40 ratio. Not much attention could be paid to the issue earlier as the state was busy with the Assembly elections followed by the swearing-in ceremony of a new government under chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Bihar chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh told The Telegraph: "We have asked the Government of India to keep the fund sharing pattern in centrally sponsored schemes the same as it existed previously otherwise it will be difficult for poor states like Bihar to implement them, especially the big schemes connected with welfare and development. We are also assessing the long-term impact of this reduction on the state."

The chief secretary added that these schemes come under different departments, which have been asked to calculate the additional financial burden that will fall on Bihar. He said among them the ICDS, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, National Education Mission and midday meal are very important for the state, as they directly impact the well-being, progress of children and the people.

The Bihar government is planning to send separate letters from different departments to the Centre to point out the enhanced financial burden and the inability of the state to cope with the situation. It has already written to the Centre that reduction in its share in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan will cause an additional Rs 3,500 crore, and hamper the aim to make it "open defecation free" by 2019.

Though this move by the Centre had been in discussion for a long time, it cropped up when the new government in the state was gearing up to act on the "seven resolves" of Nitish, including round-the-clock electricity, drinking water, toilet, road connectivity for all, employment, better access to higher education, and 35 per cent reservation for women in government jobs.