Patna, Nov. 19: All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Sanjay Nirupam today came down heavily on the Bihar government for coming out with a draft paper on Lokayukta, describing the move as an attempt to divert people’s attention from “real issues”.
“There is no point in bringing the Lokayukta Bill in the state because the standing committee of Parliament, headed by Abhishek Manu Singhvi, is looking into the matter. There are various drafts, suggestions and opinions regarding constitution of the Lokpal Bill, which is likely to be tabled in Parliament during its winter session. The bill might incorporate the provisions of simultaneous constitution of Lokayuktas in states as suggested by Team Anna and others,” the Congress’s Bihar affairs co-in-charge told reporters at the party’s state headquarters here.
“If the Lokpal bill incorporates the provision of simultaneous appointment of Lokayuktas in the states, the state government’s efforts would go in vain as every state will have to abide by the central law,” Sanjay said in the presence of state Congress chief Choudhary Mehboob Ali Quaiser and party chief spokesman H.K. Verma.
After kicking off the campaign for party nominee Ram Sunder Tarait for the Laukaha Assembly bypoll, Sanjay, a Lok Sabha member, said the residents of Bihar have got “completely disenchanted” with the Nitish Kumar government. He added: “This was evident during Nitish’s ongoing Seva Yatra when the chief minister had to face people’s ire. He had to remain confined in Katra block of Muzaffarpur during his yatra as people outside the headquarters raised anti-government slogans. This shows his so-called development is confined to the pages of newspapers and has failed to translate into ground realities.”
Terming Nitish’s yatra as a futile exercise “causing heavy burden on the state’s exchequer”, Sanjay said: “This was his sixth yatra in his six years of rule. Despite this, the chief minister could not understand people’s problems. There is no point conducting such yatras. He should also stop criticising the Centre.
Sanjay said corruption had spread its tentacles to every department and schemes being run by the central and state governments, coupled with rising bureaucratic and police control.
Opposing the state government’s move to impose 10 per cent premium charge for giving uninterrupted power in Patna, Rajgir and Bodhgaya, he demanded rollback of the decision because it would put additional economic burden on the people who are already reeling under price rise.
On the Congress’s prospect in the by-election, Sanjay said: “Tarait is a grassroots worker and has been the party president at the block level for quite a long time. His chances are bright.” He added that the Congress has chalked out a strategy to carry out a mass movement up to the block and panchayat levels, but this would start only after the organisational polls. The election of district president is likely to be over by November 30, which would be followed by election of delegates.
