Canteen beyond inflation reach

The Assembly canteen is perhaps the only place on which the food inflation had no effect. A pot of Green Label tea can still be had for Rs 5 and sweets are still priced at Re 1 per piece. The most sought after item - meat paratha - costs a meagre Rs 20. he canteen manager pointed out that the prices of the items had not been changed for the past eight years and but the menu had been tweaked recently to cut the losses. The meat paratha has been taken off the menu for Tuesdays and Thursdays — the days on which many prefer to fast on religious grounds. “The price of non-vegetarian items has shot up now and the withdrawal of meat paratha from the menu for two days a week will cut down the losses we are making,” he said. An angry visitor said: “What has this canteen to do with religion? After all, it is a canteen run by the labour department.” Janardan Singh Sigriwal of the BJP heads the labour department. The change in menu is said to be his idea.

Golden RJD days

Many RJD leaders would agree with the leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, that their “golden days” were between 1990 and 1994. In 1994 Nitish Kumar parted ways with Lalu Prasad and formed his own party. “Till 1994, the Janata Dal then had strong political personalities who could tell Laluji on his face that he was going wrong and Lalu used to listen,” said a senior party leader. The RJD leaders said the likes of Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav gained control over the party and the state government post-1994. “But those golden days will not return even though Sadhu and Subhash have left the party,” a JD (U) leader said.

Mad rush for seats

The NDA leaders can be seen huddled in corners with ministers and senior party MLAs these days. The small gatherings are of the aspirants, pleading their cases for a seat in the state legislative council. “Of course, each time you plead for your case to a leader, there are at least three others who spoil the case,” said a state office-bearer of the BJP, who is also lobbying for a seat. The number of seats may be high, but the number of candidates is higher, he said./B>

Susashan jibe

“Good governance” are the key words of the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government. The chief minister and his followers have been using it generously at public functions. RJD MLA Akhtrul Imam used the same words while levelling charges on the Nitish overnment. Accusing the tate government of distributing the subsidy for farmers o purchase petrol for motor sets for irrigation after the arvesting season, he said: “It’s only in susashan raj that arvesting takes place in non-harvesting seasons,” Imam said, much to the mbarrassment of the treasury.