PM Modi’s first Bihar visit since Nitish Kumar’s return to NDA

Mangalore Today News Network

Patna, Oct 14, 2017:  For the first time since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s exit from the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar and return to the NDA fold, he will today share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state. PM Modi’s itinerary features launch of projects worth 5,000 crores including a bridge across the Ganga which costs about 1,200 crores. The two leaders will also attend the Patna University’s much-publicised centenary celebrations.

   

PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the centenary celebrations of Patna University around 11 am today.  The country’s seventh oldest university, on the banks of the river Ganga, completed 100 years on October 1.
   
Governor Satya Pal Malik, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad would also participate in the celebrations. The event would most likely be held in the sprawling grounds of the prestigious Patna Science College, which turns 90 next month.
   
The university’s famous alumni and BJP leaders-turned-critics Shatrughan Sinha and Yashwant Sinha, however, might not attend the event. Lawmaker from Bihar Shatrughan Sinha had told ndtv.com that he had not been invited to attend the celebrations. The actor-turned-politician, who is "very emotionally attached to my alma mater", said, "I’m pained over being denied invitation on such an occasion."
   
But today while welcoming PM Modi to "his Patna University", the former actor tweeted, "...even I got an invitaion, alas very late and with a very short notice...delayed by the ’more loyal than the King’s people’ involved in the affair. So, though ’Muhabbat Karne waale kam na honge...Teri mehfil mein lekin hum na honge’. However, my best wishes."
  

Vice-Chancellor Ras Bihari Prasad Singh had also invited the former finance minister, who graduated from the institution with a degree in political science and also taught here, but Mr Sinha has not indicated whether he will attend.
   
The Vice Chancellor said that even if Mr Sinha attends the function, he may not be seated near the PM whose office and security clear all arrangements including seating plans for the stage.
   
He claimed that RJD president Lalu Yadav, too, wasn’t invited. The Vice Chancellor blamed the delay in printing of invitation cards for the confusion. "They are very much on our guest list," he said. "We are going to organise a mega event for the centenary on December 10 in which all former students of the university will be invited," he added.
   
PM Modi will launch a special centenary souvenir. The management is hopeful that PM’s visit will allow them to request for central university status for the Patna University.
   
Soon after the celebrations, PM Modi will head to Mokama, about 96 km from Patna, to launch about half-a-dozen schemes including projects under the Namami Gange Programme.
   
The four national highway projects for which foundation stones will be laid include four-laning of Aunta-Simariya section of NH-31 and construction of six-lane Ganga Setu. The other three projects are four-laning of Bakhtiyarpur-Mokama section of NH-31, two-lane construction of Maheshkhunt-Saharsa-Purnea section of NH-107 and two-lane construction of Biharsharif-Barbigha-Mokama section of NH-82.

Courtesy: NDTV