Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday challenged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to provide details of the 'additional' financial assistance provided by the Centre to the state.
Kumar was reacting to remarks made by Gandhi earlier, when she had claimed that Bihar had received the maximum amount of financial assistance from the Centre for development and welfare programmes during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's tenure.
"I challenge Sonia Gandhi to explain and present data to prove that Bihar was provided additional financial assistance from the Centre, other than what it deserves as per the recommendations of the financial commission," Kumar said during his address at the two day meet of the Janata Dal - United being held in Rajgir, Bihar.
"It is not true. The financial assistance to Bihar is as per the Constitutional arrangement. It is the duty of the Centre to provide financial assistance to the states," Kumar said.
Kumar claimed that Gandhi's statement -- that Bihar's development was due to the funds provided by the Centre -- was not true.
Kumar said that it was right of the states to receive fund from the Centre. "Bihar used to receive funds during the previous National Democratic Alliance government's rule. There was nothing special about it," he said.
He added that the Centre was not doing the state a favour by providing funds.
