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(BiharTimes)Soon it is going to be budget presentation time. Grievances of people of Bihar have not been finding reflection in budget document for quite sometime now. A proactive step from combined political leadership of Bihar can go a long way in redeeming this prevailing situation. It is election year and hence this will be also the last opportunity for political parties to show to their constituents that concern for wellbeing of Bihar is first and foremost for them, well beyond all their petty political considerations. Off course, political leadership of the state has shown, on and off, that they are capable of rising to the occasion. Move for demand for AIIMS like status for SKMCH spearheaded by Dr Raghuvansh Pd Singh and amply supported by MPs cutting across the political spectrum, culminating in a letter by CM to PM, is a befitting example of this. Earlier also, on the issue of treatment to North Indians in Maharashtra, political leadership of state demonstrated that they can work together. There is no reason why they can not work together on other pressing issues facing Bihar, without giving up on their respective political agendas.
Certainly a combined move from the entire political establishment of Bihar is required for getting the Rehabilitation & Reconstruction package delivered to the people of Kosi region. Contrast between the federal response in aftermath of national calamity in Kosi region to that in aftermath of Tsunami in Tamilnadu and Earthquake in Gujarat is quite discomforting. It is for the leaders of Bihar to ensure that Kosi region gets justice. Federal leadership, both political & bureaucratic, from other parts of India can not be expected to come and solve the problem facing the people of Bihar, be it Prime Minister or the Dy. Chairman of Planning Commission. And certainly not the present home minister or finance minister who any way lack pan national concern.
However, maximalist position while bargaining is sometimes counterproductive as has been the experience till date in regards to demand for special category state status for Bihar. One should bargain for what is possible to get. Kosi region definitely merits, and has a strong case to demand so, a “Special Development Zone” status. Reconstruction of this region might have moved out of public memory elsewhere but state can not let the region down. It is responsibility of the political leadership of the entire Bihar to see that the same is delivered soon. A joint memorandum putting these demands and duly signed by all the elected representative of Bihar (all MLA’ & MPs at the minimum) is earnestly needed at this juncture. Kosi disaster affected region can ill afford to miss such a life line once again.
Even otherwise, union budget must be made to address the concerns of Bihar. It is time that RSY sum is at least doubled. Additionally, more centrally sponsored institutions should be set up in the state. It is inconceivable why Bihar, one of the most populous states of India, should be denied institutions like IIM, IISER and NID apart from establishments of ISRO and DAE. Other issues of contention continues to be the proposed thermal power plants, national highways development as also the policy related to ethanol projects.
State leadership has been crowing about these things for quite sometime now. They must find a way to extract the same from the central government. Most puzzling is the fact that the state leadership is still squeamish about making these things in a major issue. CM & DY CM Bihar goes on repeating that center is biased against interest of Bihar, and by all accounts it is true also, yet they don’t have heart to stage a sit in or hunger strike in front of PMs House. If this creates a constitution crisis, let it be so. People of Bihar don’t have any heart for constitutional niceties now, especially when they are under attack elsewhere in the country. After all, these very leaders are product of JP’s “Total Revolution” movement and so is the leadership on the opposition side. These people would very well know how to wage successful struggle against the central dispensation and deliver.
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