Centre approves Nitish formula Having scrapped the local area development fund for MLAs,Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has got the Centre to clear his formula for the way the MPLAD fund is to be executed. So far,district magistrates used to work as nodal officers for MPLAD schemes and the MP of the area would choose a contractor. Nitishs formula involves engaging an independent agency chosen by the Centre through an open tender. With the earlier system plagued by allegations of corruption and commission funds,Nitish had put pushed the new one with the Centre. Forty Lok Sabha and 16 Rajya Sabha MPs from Bihar would get Rs 5 crore each for their projects once open tenders are floated. Bihars MPLAD fund scheme has already been replaced with CM Local Area Development scheme,controlled by engineer-in-chief with DMs given only supervisory roles. Relations turn sour Suspended JD-U MP Rajiv Ranjan or Lallan Singh,once the blue-eyed boy of the Bihar CM,has now been attacking Nitish Kumar. Singh,who had openly campaigned for the Congress during last Assembly elections,rebuffed Deputy CM Sushil Modis praise of Nitish as the best CM after Bihars first,Srikrishna Singh or Sri Babu. Lallan Singh chose Sri Babus birth anniversary on October 20 to say that Nitish can be never be compared to the first CM. He said Sri Babu had opened schools and set up power plants while the present CM is only interested in billboards and publicity over some repair work. Singh shared the dais with Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid and RJD leader-turned-Congress member Akhilesh Prasad Singh. Season of yatras After BJP leader L K Advani started his Jan Chetna Yatra from Sitab Diara,Chhapra,on October 11,Bihar will see at least two more yatras. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will start his Seva Yatra from West Champaran on November 9,and RJD chief Lalu Prasad would start his Gaon Gaon Paon Paon (village to village on foot) in mid-November. If Nitish is aiming to consolidate,Lalu is fighting for political survival. Though the recent Daraunda bypoll result did not bring any cheer to the RJD,it believes it can still take up corruption and law and order. The Bihar Youth Congress,meanwhile,has planned some public meetings in November-December to take on Nitish Kumar.
