300 % increase in incidents of kidnapping for ransom in Nitish regime: NDA

Law Kumar Mishra

Patna: As the Grand Alliance (GA) government led by Nitish Kumar completes its one year on Sunday, the opposition NDA in Bihar on November 19 disputed the claims of the chief minister over declining trend in crime since enforcement of prohibition in April, 2016, and said incidents of kidnapping for ransom had increased by 300% and road robberies, rapes and dacoities too have increased manifold.

NDA leaders including union food and consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan, former chief minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi, former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, and union minister of state for human resources development Upendra Kushwaha held a joint press conference and released the  report card listing failures of GA government in Bihar. Nitish will release his annual report card on achievements of his government on November 20.

NDA leaders took a dig on the claim of Nitish that he takes all decisions after lot of deliberations and said the CM has included drinking water taps in every household under his 7 –point resolve, but in Patna, the union government financed scheme of installing 72 waterhead tanks for supply of Ganga water could not start even in five years. The CM had announced  construction of 250 MLAs quarters by demolising the existing MLAs flats, this also did not happen.They were obviously reacting to Nitish Kumar’s comments on demonetisation of high currency notes by the central government. Nitish had said, “There are people who take decisions without careful considerations,but I take all decisions after full deliebrations.”

Paswan demanded release of white paper by the state government on conditions of mahadalits and dalits in Bihar. He alleged atrocity against  them had increased in last one year and regretted when a mahadalit girl was gangraped in Gaya, neither the DM nor SSP, who is herself a woman, visited the family of the deceased girl. At least six journalists have been killed by supporters of ruling party leaders at different places in Bihar in last one year, Paswan alleged.

Modi alleged Bihar was again defamed in last one year due to various scams and increasing crimes . Manjhi said the mahadalit and dalit families were denied land promised by the chief minister. Illicit liquor trade has flourished in the village since introduction of prohibition,he alleged.