The BJP today sought financial cooperation and assistance for Bihar from the UPA government to fast-track development activities in the state.

"The NDA government, during its nearly five years rule, has ushered in all-round economic development, but the state required liberal financial cooperation and assistance from the Centre to implement various development activities," state unit BJP president C P Thakur told reporters here.

Besides generous funding from its own corpus, the Centre should also direct banks to lend money for self-sustainable enterprises like floriculture, dairy farming, poultry farming, etc, he said.

Thakur appealed to the union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to keep his recent promise to the Bihar government that he will direct banking institutions to increase lending to people from the state.

Stating that a liberal credit policy holds the key to the rapid economic development of Bihar and prosperity of its people, the BJP leader threatened to launch an agitation if the Centre fails to act in this regard.

Thakur also urged members of the Parliament from Bihar, including the five newly-elected members to the Rajya Sabha, to unitedly raise their voice in the House for the betterment of their own state.

"There have been occasions in the parliament when all MPs of a particular state spoke out in unison voice in Parliament on the issues affecting their state," he said adding MPs from Bihar should do the same.