Industries minister Bhim Singh appears “jobless” unlike when he held the rural engineering organisation (REO) and panchayati raj portfolios. Then, he had to frequently answer to questions of legislators on rural roads in the Assembly. Now, he appears to be “unemployed” inside the Assembly as well as the State Legislative Council. hen a JDU MLA asked a question related to industries on Monday, Bhim not only answered but thanked him for asking the question. “This is the first question asked about my department during the current session,” the minister said. “What is there to ask about industries when there is no land to set them up. We are tired of hearing about proposals which never become a reality,” said an RJD MLA. JDU sources claim that Bhim Singh has been sulking ever since he has been shifted from the REO department. Cars with red beacon light and the government security guards are the most sought-after things in the state. Transport minister Ramai Ram had to face rough weather when he withdrew the facility from the chairpersons of the House panels. Ram’s plea that he had withdrawn the facility according to the guidelines of the apex court did not cut ice. Finally, the minister had to relent and withdraw his order. “The red beacon light is a passport for free passage on roads. Policemen salute you without knowing who you are,” said a politician. An official recalled that during the pre-Nitish days, guns used to stick out from cars having red beacon lights. The Bihar Legislative Assembly has two porticos - one to enter the Assembly and the other leading to the State Legislative Council. After 11am, one can find many JDU MLAs lurking around the Council portico. “They wait for former chief minister Nitish Kumar to arrive so that they can greet him. Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi enters through the Assembly portico, where a few Dal MLAs can be seen waiting to greet him. The MLAs know on which side of the building power exists,” said a JDU MLA. Even the government employees appear to know the right side. On Thursday, the chief minister had ordered food from the canteen for guests. He was infuriated when he found them cold. The JDU MLAs often talk about going to the office of the “past” chief minister (Nitish Kumar) or that of the present chief minister (Jitan Ram Manjhi). When a JDU MLA recently asked a BJP MLA where he had disappeared for an hour, the latter replied that he was with the “future” chief minister. When the puzzled JDU MLA asked who he was, pat came the reply: “Sushil Kumar Modi”.
Sunday, 18 May 2025
