Modi shares stage with Nitish, lays stone for Rs 3,700 cr projects

AIMING EXCELLENCE: PM says Rs 10,000 cr will be given to top 20 universities

PATNA/MOKAMA: Sharing a public platform with Nitish Kumar for the first time after the coming together of JD-U and BJP over two months ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he and the Bihar Chief Minister would take the state to new heights of development even as he announced that infrastructure projects of Rs 53,000 crore were under way or completed in the state.

Addressing a rally at Mokama, Modi heaped praise on Nitish Kumar and said the central and state governments were working tirelessly to fulfil the dreams of people of Bihar.

Modi referred to Kumar’s demands for development of Mokama and said he respected sentiments of the Chief Minister. “I assure you that the central government will walk with you shoulder to shoulder to fulfil dreams of people of Bihar and take this journey of development to new heights,” he said.

Modi laid the foundation stone for four sewerage projects under the Namami Gange programme and four national highway projects and said the state was getting gifts worth Rs 3,700 coinciding with festivals of Diwali and Chhath.

Modi, who arrived in Patna on a day-long visit, earlier addressed centenary celebrations of Patna University and said the government will provide autonomy and Rs 10,000 crore to top 10 public and 10 private universities to make them world-class.

Kumar, who also spoke at the varsity function, said people of the state were keen that Patna University is made a central university. Modi, however, responded by saying that he was going beyond the demand and was keen that the Patna varsity competes successfully in the challenge for 10 public universities and becomes a global-level institution.

In his speech at Mokama, Modi said he was grateful from his heart to Kumar and his team for their strong support to central schemes. “If there are difficulties, he strives to remove them. The state and central government are working shoulder to shoulder and doing everything possible to fulfil the dreams of Bihar and the results are visible,” Modi said.

Referring to the long list of road projects mentioned by Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in his speech, Modi said, “So many projects to change the fate of Bihar can be implemented in such a short time, we have shown this.”