New Delhi, 9/7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second-biggest ally is demanding Rs 30,000 crore ($3.6 billion) from India’s federal budget this year to help fund projects in Bihar state, according to people familiar with the matter, a test for the coalition governments.
The Bihar government, which is led by Janata Dal (United)’s Nitish Kumar, made the request during a pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.