Patna, April 10: The discussion on the home ministry's budgetary demand in the Assembly today turned into a slanging match between the BJP and the rest.
The BJP did not sit to hear out the government's reply, given by water resources minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary. "Chief minister Nitish Kumar is in Patna. He is the home minister. We will listen to government reply only if Nitish gives it," leader of the Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav said.
The minister said Nand Kishore never complained when he used to table the government reply during the days of the NDA but was finding fault now. The BJP leader countered saying if Nitish had time to meet RJD MLAs separately, he should find time to come in the House and give the reply himself. However, BJP MLAs continued to shout and walked out. Nitish came to the House after the walkout. Vijay Kumar said the BJP is shedding crocodile tears. He said the 14th Finance commission had reduced funds for police modernisation to zero.
125 constables
Vijay quoted National Crime Record Bureau figures to claim the average crime rate in Bihar in 2013 was lower than the national average. He spoke of efforts to recruit more constables so that there are 125 of them for a lakh people. He said the national ratio is 136 and current ratio in Bihar 88.
Bed-sheets in PMCH
Health minister Ramdhani Singh found himself in a tight corner during Question Hour. He conceded there weren't enough bedsheets for patients and said the laundry bill for cleaning up PMCH bedsheets came to Rs 85,000 a month. Nand Kishore Yadav, who headed the health ministry when the JDU was in alliance with BJP, said at Rs 11.50 per bed-sheet, the laundry bill should have been over Rs 5 lakh a month. "It means there are only around 7,000 bedsheets in a hospital that has 1,675 beds and sheets are not changed daily," Nand Kishore said. Ramdhani said Nand Kishore knew the department better. "I am ready to take tuitions from Nand Kishore ji," the minister said. The Speaker said the minister should use Nand Kishore's wisdom.
CCTV ire
Minister Shyam Rajak faced the opposition's ire when he said CCTVs installed on Gandhi Setu from Patna side were functional but power from Hajipur side had been snapped for unpaid Rs 38 lakh bill.
