Modi package is like old wine

Modi could have promised 1.25 lakh crore package for Bihar even after the schedule for the elections is announced. It would not amount to any violation because all that the officials did was dig up the details of the already approved or that of the ongoing works or those which are under project study stages or those for which the MoUs etc are signed. Some others are straight away taken out from the past Budget speeches of the Union Finance and Railways Ministers. Several of these had begun under the UPA regime itself. But the politicians and journalists never bothered to put it under scanner. One can only imagine what is in store for Andhra Pradesh which is also seeking special status

When the BJP leaders say expect the unexpected with Narendra Modi around, they should know better. After all, they have his Gujarat model to tout. Sure. The dramatic fashion in which the comic interlude of Bihar package arrived was also not unexpected, but the chicanery had us in splits.

Comedy comes in several forms... at least in 21 identified ones. From the comedy of humours, it slowly progresses to comedy of ideas to comedy of intrigue to high comedy to tragi-comedy, in addition to all those plays that could be classified as Theatre of the Absurd.

That the Theatre of the Absurd was in full play when the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the giver, asked the audience at Arrah in Bihar: Kitne paise chahiye? 40,000? 50,000? 60,000?... leo, de rahaan hun... 25 lakh karode. Bas hai kyaan? The deep growl in the voice dragging, his

'chappan inch ki chaati" acquiring a couple of inches more. The audience was thrilled. The Lord of the Rings finally delivered, Modi's men bleated. A dumbstruck Nitish-Lalu duo felt whammed. "What, is he trying to buy Bihar?” they asked. Modiji was not trying to buy Biharis. Rather it was the usurper in him that was in full play without any feeling of guilt or remorse.

Guilt and remorse? Yes, one cannot expect such feelings any more. Certainly not in war. After all, it is an electoral battle. So, this is what Modi was promising, in a magnanimous fashion, in response to the long-pending demand of Special Status for Bihar ahead of the elections. Mind you, Modi could have promised the same even after the schedule for the elections is announced.

It would not amount to any violation because all that the officials did was dig up the details of the already approved or that of the ongoing works or those which are under project study stages or those for which the MoUs etc are signed. Some others are straight away taken out from the past Budget speeches of the Union Finance and Railways Ministers.

Several of these had begun under the UPA regime itself. But the politicians and journalists never bothered to put it under scanner. Look at what the Prime Minister's package for Bihar contains (this is just a sample): Biharsharif-Babigha-Mokama section of National Highway 82, (55 km) – Rs 399.54 crore; Four-laning of Patna-Koilawar section of NH 30 (33 km) - Rs.492 crore; Four-laning of Patna-Gaya-Dobi section of NH 83 with external loan assistance from JICA ODA (127 km) – Rs 1,231.98 crore; and Construction of Baghalpur Bypass (13 km) - Rs.268 crore.

The list includes 21 such mentions which are under process for award and are at the bidding stage. It includes even the road over bridges provided for in the Budget in the past. The demand for most of these has been there since long—in case of some, for more than 10 years.

More than half of these have been approved by the previous UPA-II government. Then there was this rural development package to complete about 22,500 km of PMGSY roads in Bihar at a cost of Rs13,820 crore. All these were identified by the State government and got included under a head in the past.

Or look at the petroleum and natural gas ministry plans for Bihar. For example, the Barauni Refinery expansion plan from 6 million tonnes to 9 million tonnes at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore was had been on the cards for the last five years, the government sources confirm. Proof? Well, here it is. Not just in case of this one, but for every such development plan listed in the package, we come across evidence of it being an already approved or ongoing plan.

Here is one such. The implementation of the 617-km pipeline relating to Bihar in Jagdishpur-Haldia stretch at a cost of Rs 2,300 crore! This is what the GAIL authorities told the media on September 13, 2014, which was duly reported the next day by newspapers: "India’s state-owned natural gas company GAIL is set to commence work on the 2,050 km Jagdishpur–Phulpur–Haldia natural gas pipeline, which will connect eastern India to the national gas grid by transporting natural gas to West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

The pipeline is a significant investment, estimated to cost Rs 10,000 crore (over $2 billion). The Jagdishpur – Phulpur – Haldia pipeline will consist of a 36 inch diameter, 922 km mainline, and 1,128 km of spur lines and feeder lines of between 12 and 30 inches diameter. The pipeline will have a compressor station at Haldia.

GAIL has started activities related to detailed engineering and land liaison surveys for the pipeline route. Construction will begin once these surveys are completed.....The first phase of the pipeline will have a capacity of 16 mmcmd, which would be augmented to 32 mmcmd in the second phase of the project’s development.

The pipeline will benefit the four states and lead to the set up of City Gas Networks in 17 major cities of the region – Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna, Gaya, Chhapra, Siwan, Gopalganj, Mujaffarpur, Bettiah, Bhagalpur, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Asansol, Durgapur, and Kolkata.”

Some more of it?

Well look at the package promise of construction of Greenfield Airport at Patna (Rs 2,000 crore). Newspapers reported on July 23, 2014:

"Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju had in his presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month included plans for the development of 50 no-frill airports in several states and Greenfield airports which are in the pipeline for Navi Mumbai, Juhu, Goa, Kannur, Pune, Sriperumbudur, Bellary and Raigarh.

During the 12th Plan (ending March 31, 2017) alone, about Rs 1,500 crore is being earmarked to develop non-metro airports. The idea is to connect Tier II and Tier III cities and enhance air traffic beyond metros. A plan to connect 18 Indian tourist destinations with Sri Lanka—under existing bilateral agreement between the two countries – which include Patna, Lucknow, Guwahati, Gaya, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Khajuraho, Aurangabad, Goa, Jaipur, Port Blair, Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Calicut, Amritsar, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad and Tiruchi".

This one takes the cake anyway: Modi's list says Vaishali and Bodhgaya Development under Budddhist circuit (Rs.200 crore). Poor fellow our Nitish Kumar does not even know that it is his own project that is taking shape in his own backyard since long and now Modi is promising to deliver it to him.

This is what Bihar Roads Construction Minister Nand Kishore Yadav had to say on February 11, 2012 at a press conference:

"The Bihar government has decided to develop the road connecting Bodh Gaya to Patna into a four-lane express highway with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),” officials said on Saturday.

"The proposed project of widening of the 110-km stretch between Bodh Gaya to Patna and developing it as a four lane express highway is ready and work will begin soon," said an official in the Chief Minister's Office.

At present, the road only has two lanes and is in a bad condition. According to officials, the project is estimated to cost Rs 1,210 crore. It is coming up with JICA assistance." Oh my my! Mr Narendra Modi. Is it done? Is this done Sir? What is in store for Andhra Pradesh Mr Chandrababu Naidu ?