Patna: The increasing incidents of rail dacoities was hampering the projects being implemented in Bihar, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said on November 3.

Kumar, who was here to inaugurate the Samastipur-Banmankhi link express, told reporters at the Jaya Prakash Narayan airport that there had been a sharp increase in rail dacoities in the state, particularly on the Patna-Gaya line.

This had badly hampered the electrification of the Patna-Gaya line and other railway projects in the state, he said, adding that the Centre could not do much as the law and order was a state subject.

Though the Centre wants "to do a lot" for Bihar, the state government was not providing adequate security to the railway staff and not checking dacoities, he said.

PTI