Bihar legislative assembly on Thursday, amid the uproarious scenes over the Saran hooch tragedy by the opposition, confined itself to important routine business, passing three more bills.
The three bills, including Bihar appropriation (1989-90) Bill, 2022, the Bihar technical service commission (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Bihar Municipality (Amendment) Bill, 2022 were passed by the Bihar assembly.
As the second half of the assembly began, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition in Bihar, shouted slogans and continued its criticism of the government over the Saran hooch tragedy.
Also Read: Nitish Kumar enters Bihar assembly amid BJP MLAs stir over hooch tragedy | VIDEO
Leader of the opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha once again raised the hooch tragedy issue and said the death toll crossed 40 while chief minister Nitish Kumar was trying to escape the responsibility by issuing insensitive statements to defend prohibition.
The chief minister, earlier in the day speaking to media persons claimed that 31 lives were lost so far and strongly urged people to refrain from drinking alcohol.
However, not much was audible in the din, as the opposition’s mics were switched off while assembly speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary continued with the legislative business despite the shouting in the well.
For this, Sinha charged the speaker claiming he behaved like a Rashtriya Janata dal (RJD) leader ordering the mics of the opposition benches to be switched off.
Speaking to media persons in his chamber on hooch tragedy, Sinha said, “We are not protesting against prohibition but against spurious liquor distribution which continues to find its way into all parts of Bihar causing deaths of the innocents.”
He said, however, “We are not allowed to raise the issue even inside the House.”
“The mics were shut and the cameras were removed from the opposition benches. This is the mockery of democracy,” alleged Sinha.
Further slamming Nitish on his ‘peeyoge to maroge’ remark, Sinha asked, “How is spurious liquor being manufactured in the state? How can the CM escape the responsibility by just saying ‘those who drink will die’?”
He alleged that even after prohibition, the easy availability of liquor in the state was due to the complicity of police and officials. “We at least expected protection from the chair on such a sensitive issue, but what is happening is against parliamentary decorum,” he added.
The House was adjourned for the day after the passage of the bills without any further discussion.
The first bill, Bihar appropriation (1989-90) Bill, 2022, was placed before the House by finance minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary for regularising the additional expenditure of the government fund to the tune of ₹34.46 lakh incurred on the family welfare schemes more than three decades ago.
The second bill was the Bihar technical service commission (Amendment) Bill, 2022, presented by the minister in charge of the general administration department Bijendra Prasad Yadav. The amendment empowers the commission to also recruit specialist medical officers for the Bihar medical education and Bihar health service cadres.
The third Bill was the Bihar Municipality (Amendment) Bill, 2022, placed by Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who also holds the portfolio of the urban development department. The bill empowers the municipalities to remove permanent or temporary encroachment from public roads, drainage, sewerage and parks after giving prior notice.
As per the bill, the municipal officials can remove temporary encroachment on 24-hour notice and permanent after a 15-day notice period.
On All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akhtarul Imam’s plea that the government should first ensure rehabilitation of the poor, Tejashwi said the government was conscious of the problems of the poor and was already working on a policy to make arrangements for the slum dwellers, under which they would be provided pucca houses.
