Six-phase Bihar election from October 21 to November 20

A six-phase election beginning on October 21 has been announced. On November 24, mandate will be delivered.

The six-phase election will take place on October 21 (47 assembly constituencies), October 24 (45 constituencies), October 28 (48), November 1 (42), November 9 (35) and November 20 (26). In all, Bihar has 56,943 polling stations.

JD(U) is contesting from 138 constituencies and BJP from 103. RJD will contest on 168 seats and LJP on 75 seats, out of the 243 seats.

Byelection in Banka parliamentary constituency will be held on November 1.

Primary School, Gangapur or Political Battlefield?

Uncalled for political road blocks has emerged in the completion of a Primary School at Ganagapur, Damodarpur Panchayat, Shahpur Block, Bhojpur District (Ara) which was inaugurated by Awadhesh Narayan Singh, Minister, Labour Employment & Training (in picture) on 17th August in the presence of local BJP MLA, Munni Devi.

Munni Devi had defeated Shivanand Tiwari, the current spokesperson of the Janata Dal (United) and Rajya Sabha MP during the last Bihar Vidhan Sabha elections. Tiwari was a RJD candidate at that time. Munni Devi is a relative of Visheshar Ojha, an influential BJP leader in Shahpur who lost the recent MLC election due to Tiwari supported Pandey.

On the occasion of the inaugration local officials like Abhay Kumar, Block Development Officer and Devendra Pandey, Circle Officer were present. The programme was presided by Ramji Rai, President, Twenty Point Prograame.

In a letter addressed to District Education Officer dated August 29, 2010, Munni Devi complained that Srirangji Ojha, the current Headmaster of the school is not letting the construction work for the school building. The letter has been copied to Bihar's Education Minister, Pratima Verma, Bhojpur's District Magistrate and District Education Officer.

In her letter She has stated that the inauguration of the school had happened on the land which was first recieved as donation for the education purpose at the behest of Hulash Pandey, a MLC. Pandey is believed to be close to Shivanand Tiwari. Tiwari is reported to be working to get a ticket for his son Mantu Tiwari from Shahpur assembly constituency, which is in BJP quota.

The school is turning out to be a political battle ground in the backdrop of the upcoming assembly elections. The newspapers like Rashtriya Sahara, Dainik Jagran and Hindustan has been covering the issue.

For Details Contact: Shivji, Bhojpur Gramin Morcha, Mb: 09572320855

Bihar to go for a four-phase Assembly poll?

Bihar will go for a four-phase Assembly poll beginning shortly after Durga Puja on October 17 and will conclude before mid-November, 2010. The Election Commission is likely to formally announce the dates shortly.

Bihar is the only state to go to the polls this year. This means security forces will not be in short supply especially for central and south Bihar which is naxal-affected.

It appears that Lalu Prasad Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)is promising the repeat of his exemplary performance of his rule during 15 years from 1990 to 2005. The way he has made an alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and wooed Prabhunath Singh, former Janata Dal (U) MP, his arch rival and Rajput leader from the Saran belt in north Bihar is surely an attempt to broaden his own electoral base.

Of the 243 assembly seats, RJD is fighting for 168 seats and LJP is fighting for 75 seats. Paswan has announced Lalu as the alliance's chief ministerial candidate and his brother and party president Pashupati Kumar Paras as deputy chief minister.

It appears that Rabri Devi, Chief Minister of Bihar for 8 years and subsequently Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Vidhan Sabha for 56 months has returned to the kitchen.

JD(U) had in 2005 contested from 138 of the 243 seats, leaving 103 seats to BJP. The two had a friendly fight in two other constituencies. JD(U) is claiming for more seats, including Digha and Kumhrar in Patna Lok Sabha constituencies. Nitish Kumar is thinking of contesting from Digha assembly constituency in Patna. In Seemanchal too JD(U) is keen to field more candidates after the entry of Md Taslimuddin who can influence the Muslims in Kishanganj, Araria and Katihar.

Even as Sonia Gandhi is all set for a 4th term as the President of Indian National Congress, her party is attempting to re-establish itself in Bihar during the upcoming elections under Ali Mehboob Kaiser, its Bihar state unit President. The party has been out of power in Bihar since 1989. The party's state unit is expected to submit its recommendations of candidates for the 243-member Bihar assembly by September 5. The screening committee will give its recommendations to the party's central election committee, headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, which will make the final selections. Apart from Hariprasad, the screening committee includes Mukul Wasnik, a Dalit leader, C.P. Joshi, Ali Kaiser and Congress legislative party leader Ashok Kumar Ram. The Congress had earlier appointed observers for each district of the state to give an assessment of the party's prospects on each seat.

Corporate media is only reporting about the big fronts of RJD-LJP and JDU-BJP and Indian National Congress.

It has disregarded a third front around left parties and old socialists which is struggling to emerge a significant force.

On August 24, Ram Awadesh Singh, former MP and member, National Backward Classes Commission issued a Press Release claiming that all socialist and left parties will adopt an alternative common programme before the elections for the Bihar Vidhan Sabha. In this regard several round of talks have taken place with like minded parties including left parties to repeat the performance of 1967 and 1977. Singh is the only ex.M.P.who refused former M.P. pension. He is a socialist leader and an ardent follower of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia.

All the Left parties like the Communist Party Of India (Marxist) (CPM), Communist Party Of India (CPI), Communist Party Of India (Marxist-Leninist)[CPI(ML)], Forward Bloc and the RSP will contest the Bihar Assembly polls unitedly. Left parties would contest some 200 seats out of 243 assembly seats. CPI-ML is contesting some 100 seats. CPI will contest some 60 seats. It has already chosen candidates for 34 seats. It has denied tickets to two of its current MLAs Rajendra Prasad Singh of Barauni (replacing him is Ram Ratan Singh) and Ram Vinod Paswan of Bakhari (replacing him is Suryadev Paswan). CPM has decided to contest 35 seats.

Left parties would launch a statewide land liberation struggle for the distribution of an acre of agricultural land and 10 decimal (over 3 Katthas of land) homestead and among 5 lakh landless families in Bihar. Nitish Kumar government has failed to distribute the Bhoodan land and land in excess of Ceiling Act among the the landless, disregarding the recommendations of D Bandhopadyaya Commission.

Although CPI’s influence has waned, it still has 3 MLAs while CPM has 1. CPI(ML) has 5 legislators in Bihar. In the October 2005 assembly elections, CPI had contested 35 seats but won only 3 seats and 2.09 % vote. CPM had contested 10 seats and won 1 seat and 0.68 % votes. CPI-ML had contested 85 seats and won 5 seats and 2.38 % votes.

In the Lok Sabha polls in 2009, Communist Party Of India (Marxist), CPI and CPI(ML) had joined hands for the first time. They had fielded 33 candidates but could not succeed.

As is quite usual during elections, new parties do get formed making democracy dynamic at least in form. Devendra Prasad Yadav, former RJP MP has launched a new party, Samajwadi Janata Dal (Democratic) on August 19, 2010. Prasad has been a four time member of Lok Sabha member from Jhanjahrpur. He is expected to join the Third Front if it takes shape.

Notably, Yadavs constitute 13 per cent and Muslims constitute 16.5 per cent of Bihar’s population are play a key role in state politics. Extremely backsward castes (EBCs) and mahadalits too have become a significant player in the state's electoral scene.

Amidst predictions of a hung assembly, it must be said that it is the voting pattern of these caste communities that will determine the fate of Bihar elections and not astrologers.

Shivanand Tiwari in Rajya Sabha on Nuclear Liability Bill

􀇛ी िशवानन्द ितवारी (िबहार) : उपसभाध्यक्ष महोदय, इस िबल पर सदन की सवार्नुमित है, इसिलए इसके पास होने म􀈂 कोई संदेह और शुबहा नहीं है। महोदय, हम􀈂 याद है जब Nuclear Deal पर ह􀃎ताक्षर की बात चल रही थी, उस समय कई तरह के सवाल इस डील को लेकर उठाए जा रहे थे और मेरे मन म􀈂 भी उस समय एक शंका पैदा हुई थी,जब हम􀈂 पता लगा िक इस nuclear power को पैदा करने म􀈂 िकतनी बड़ी पूंजी लगेगी, इसकी technology हमारे पास नहीं है, इसका raw material हमारे पास नहीं है और इसम􀈂 जो िवशाल पूंजी लगने वाली है, वह भी हमारे पास नहीं है। इसके बाद इस project को हम कैसे ले रहे ह􀈅, यह बात हमारी समझ म􀈂 नहीं आई थी। कोई भी आदमी ऐसा कोई project नहीं लगा सकता है, िजसकी technology उसके पास नहीं हो, raw material उसके पास नहीं हो और उसके लायक पूंजी भी नहीं हो। आज भी मेरे िदमाग म􀈂 यह सवाल है और जैसा सीताराम येचुरी जी ने कहा िक आिखर इसकी हड़बड़ी क्य􀈗 है, यह बात हमारी समझ म􀈂 नहीं आई।

उपसभाध्यक्ष महोदय, इस देश का एक सबसे बड़ा संकट यह है िक िवकास के बारे म􀈂एक सवार्नुमित बन गई है। हम􀈂 याद है जब 􀄢धान मंतर्ी मनमोहन िंसह जी, नरिंसह राव जी की सरकार म􀈂 िव􀇄 मंतर्ी थे और 1990 म􀈂 आिर्थक उदारीकरण की नीित चली थी, तो दोन􀈗 सदन􀈗 म􀈂 एक िवक􀃊प की आिर्थक नीित की बात होती थी िक हम 􀃎वदेशी की आिर्थक नीित चलाएंगे। उस समय लगता था िक मनमोहन िंसह जी के नेतृत्व म􀈂 जो आिर्थक नीित चलाई जा रही है, वह 􀃎वदेशी नहीं, िवदेशी है और उससे देश की sovereignty compromise होगी - यह एक आवाज़ िवक􀃊प की आिर्थक नीित के तौर पर चलती थी। म􀈅 भी उस 􀃎वदेशी की आिर्थक नीित से बहुत 􀄢भािवत था, लेिकन मुझे इस बात का खेद है िक उन लोग􀈗 को जब मौका िमला, जो सरकार चलाने के िलए 􀃎वेदशी की आिर्थक नीित की बात करते थे, तो उनम􀈂 और नरिंसह राव जी की सरकार म􀈂, डा. मनमोहन िंसह के नेतृत्व म􀈂 जो आिर्थक नीित चल रही थी, कोई फकर् नहीं िदखाई िदया। मुझे ऐसा लगता है िक उस समय माननीय 􀄢धान मंतर्ी जी को बहुत खुशी हुई होगी और उनको लग रहा होगा िक मेरी जो आिर्थक नीित है, वह vindicate हुई, क्य􀈗िक जो opposition है, वह 􀃎वेदशी की आिर्थक नीित की बात करता था और उसके पास
कोई िवक􀃊प की आिर्थक नीित नहीं है। यह देश के सामने संकट है। जब नरिंसह राव जी की सरकार गई थी, उस समय हम opposition म􀈂 थे। हमने यह कहा था िक इस देश की जनता ने नरिंसह राव जी की सरकार को हटाया। मनमोहन िंसह जी की जो आिर्थक नीित थी, उस नीित को देश की जनता ने खािरज िकया लेिकन उसके बाद जो नई सरकार आई है, िजसने 􀃎वेदशी की आिर्थक नीित पर mandate िदया है, वह उन्हीं नीितय􀈗 को क्य􀈗 चला रही है, िजन नीितय􀈗 को नरिंसह राव जी की सरकार चला रही थी?

􀇛ी िशवानन्द ितवारी (कर्मागत) : आज िवकास की बात होती है िक िवकास के िलए िबजली की जरूरत है और इसके िलए हमारे सामने nuclear energy के अलावा और कोई रा􀃎ता नहीं है। म􀈅 जानना चाहता हूं िक यह कैसा िवकास है - िजसके बारे म􀈂 अभी सीताराम येचुरी जी ने कहा - िक इस देश के आधे बच्चे कुपोषण के िशकार ह􀈅, उनको भरपेट भोजन नहीं िमलता है? यह कैसा िवकास है िक इस देश का िकसान आत्महत्या कर रहा है और आप कह रहे ह􀈅 िक आपका जी.डी.पी. का गर्ोथ रेट 8.5 परस􀈂ट है? महोदय, म􀈅ने अखबार म􀈂 देखा है िक
फाइन􀈂स िमिन􀃎टर का बयान आया है िक हमारा जीडीपी 8.5 परस􀈂ट है। सु􀄢ीम कोटर् ने अभी हाल म􀈂 एक फैसले म􀈂 कहा िक यह कैसा िवकास है िक आपका जो जीडीपी है और जो human development index है, इन दोन􀈗 म􀈂 कोई match नहीं है? यह िकस तरह का िवकास है, इस बात को हम समझ नहीं पा रहे ह􀈅। देश की जनता के सामने एक tragedy है, उसके सामने कोई िवक􀃊प नहीं है। हम जानते ह􀈅 िक जब पूरा सदन, पक्ष और िवपक्ष, एक साथ हो गया है तो इस िबल को पास होना ही है, लेिकन मेरे मन म􀈂 आज भी डर है िक िजतना बड़ा project हम लोग लेने जा रहे ह􀈅, उसको ह􀈅डल करने की क्षमता क्या हमारे देश म􀈂 है?

हमारा देश बहुत लापरवाह िक􀃎म का देश है। हमने देखा है िक क्या हालत हुई है - हमारे देश म􀈂 सरकार का िवज्ञापन छपता है, उसम􀈂 देश के एयरफोसर् के कै􀃃टन के बदले पािक􀃎तान के एयरफोसर् के सेनापित का फोटो छप जाता है, हमारा देश इतना inefficient है। हमने यह देखा है। एक बार हमने अखबार म􀈂 पढ़ा िक 􀄢धान मंतर्ी जी हैदराबाद गए थे और उनका helicopter िकसी दीवार से टकरा गया था। इसी 􀄢कार रा􀃍टर्पित जी को कहीं जाना था तो जो सीढ़ी है, वह जाकर जहाज से लग गयी थी। महोदय, हमारा देश बहुत लापरवाह िक􀃎म का देश है। आप भोपाल गैस को देिखए। अचानक से कोई दुघर्टना नहीं हुई थी। उसके पहले चेतावनी िमल गयी थी िक वहां पर सब कुछ ठीक नहीं है। जो से􀃄टी के norms ह􀈅, उनका maintenance नहीं हो रहा है, लेिकन हमने उसको कभी दुरु􀃎त नहीं िकया। इसिलए हम􀈂 कभी-कभी डर भी लगता है। म􀈅 जानता हूं िक यह 􀄢धान मंतर्ी जी का बहुत ही pet project है। हमने अखबार􀈗 म􀈂 पढ़ा था िक 􀄢धान मंतर्ी जी इसके िलए अपनी सरकार तक दांव पर लगाने के िलए तैयार थे।

मुझे बहुत खुशी होती, अगर 􀄢धान मंतर्ी जी, इस देश के जो कुपोिषत बच्चे ह􀈅, आधे बच्चे ह􀈅, उनको कैसे पोषण िमले, इसके िलए अगर उन्ह􀈗ने सरकार को दांव पर लगाने का 􀄢यास िकया होता, तो मेरे जैसा आदमी उनको माला पहनाता। आज 􀄥􀃍टाचार का क्या आलम है? यहां अ􀃈यर जी मौजूद ह􀈅। आज 􀄥􀃍टाचािरय􀈗 की िह􀃇मत इतनी बढ़ गयी है िक िद􀃊ली म􀈂 Common Wealth Games के नाम पर हमारी छाती पर चढ़कर लूट हो रही है - सरकार की नाक के नीचे, 􀄢धान मंतर्ी जी की नाक के नीचे यह सब हो रहा है और हम कुछ भी नहीं कर पा रहे ह􀈅।

आज हम लोग इतने बेबस हो गए ह􀈅। अगर 􀄢धान मंतर्ी जी ने इस देश से 􀄥􀃍टाचार को िमटाने के िलए अपनी कुसीर् को दांव पर लगाया होता, तो मेरे जैसे आदमी को खुशी होती और म􀈅 दावे के साथ कह सकता हूं िक वैसी हालत म􀈂 􀄢धान मंतर्ी के रूप म􀈂 मनमोहन िंसह जी का नाम इितहास म􀈂 िलखा जाता। लेिकन आज िजस सवाल पर इस सरकार को दांव पर लगाने का इन्ह􀈗ने 􀄢यास िकया है - हमने देखा है िक लोक सभा म􀈂 जैसे ही The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010 पास हुआ, सबसे पहली बधाई अमेिरका से िमली। चाहे आप िजतना भी कह􀈂 िक हम अपने देश की sovereignty के साथ, हम􀈂 अपने देश के अंदर जो फैसला लेना है, उस पर जो हमारा अिधकार है, उसके साथ हम कोई समझौता नहीं करने वाले ह􀈅, ऐसा हम􀈂 नहीं लगता है, कोई इसे मानने के िलए तैयार नहीं है। महोदय, मुझे बहुत अफसोस है िक हम लोग उसी रा􀃎ते पर बढ़ रहे ह􀈅। 1909 म􀈂 महात्मा गांधी ने "िहन्द 􀃎वराज" म􀈂 िलखा था िक िकसी अंधे आदमी को मालूम होगा िक जो-जो industrialized nations ह􀈅, उनके िवकास के रा􀃎ते को अगर हम लोग􀈗 ने कबूल िकया तो हम लोग नकर् के रा􀃎ते पर जाएंगे। उन्ह􀈗ने कहा िक हम लोग िवनाश के रा􀃎ते पर जाएंगे। महोदय, इस देश म􀈂 गांधी जी
पैदा हुए िजनके मरने के बाद ..(समय की घंटी).. म􀈅 समा􀃃त कर रहा हूं, आइन􀃎टाइन ने कहा िक आने वाली पीिढ़य􀈗 को आ􀃌चयर् होगा िक हाड़-मांस का बना हुआ एक िंजदा आदमी इस धरती पर चलता था। आज उस आदमी के इस देश म􀈂 हम िवकास की ऐसी नीित बना रहे ह􀈅, म􀈅 जवाबदेही के साथ कह रहा हूं, िक हमारी जो sovereignty है, उसे हम दांव पर लगा रहे ह􀈅। हम􀈂 यह नहीं िदखाई दे रहा है िक हम अपने बच्च􀈗 को सही खुराक नहीं दे रहे ह􀈅, उनको सही िशक्षा नहीं दे रहे ह􀈅, अपने बीमार􀈗 का हम इलाज नहीं करा रहे ह􀈅, उसके बावजूद
..(􀃋यवधान)..
उपसभाध्यक्ष (􀄢ो0 पी.जे.कुिरयन) : अब समा􀃃त कीिजए।
􀇛ी िशवानन्द ितवारी : 􀄢धान मंतर्ी जी का pet bill पास होने जा रहा है, इसके िलए म􀈅 उनको बधाई देता हूं िक आप संतोष कर सकते ह􀈅। बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद।
(Shivanand Tiwari with Nitish Kumar)
On 30 August, 2010, Rajya Sabha passed the Nuclear Liability Bill.

Bureaucrats & Technocrats have Ruined Bihar

Bureaucrats and technocrats have ruined Bihar. It appears to be beyond repair especially in a system where only politicians are held accountable every five year. The mess in Kosi basin illustrates it. The urban planning, public transport, education system, health system and criminal infested justice system in the state reveals the colossal failure of the bureaucracy and technocracy. There are 25 lakh power connections in Bihar, but only 15,000 are for industries. Out of these, 12,500 are for small-scale industries. And out of 2,500 non-SSI units half are closed, says K P S Kesri, former president, Bihar Indusries Association.

Notwithstanding a 52.76% increase in tourist inflow in 2008-09 from 2004-05, the percentage of tourists availing the company’s accommodation facilities remained quite low in the range of 0.43-0.51% for domestic tourists and 0.60-3.73% for foreign tourists.

In such a backdrop, Bihar Vidhan Sabha witnessed massive uproar and demonstration in its last session prior to this year's October election on the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG), which found discrepancies of over Rs 11,000 crore by the Bihar government, had stated the expenses incurred were “not in tune with the spirit of formation of contingency funds... provided (under) the Constitution.”

Patna high court has ordered a CBI probe against chief minister Nitish Kumar, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and health minister Nand Kishore Yadav, among others on the basis of this report.

The court noted that “on several occasions, expenditure incurred were not to meet unforeseen and emergent expenditure, but for pay and allowances, TA, LTC, office expenses, purchase of vehicles, etc”.

The report adds: “These were not in tune with the spirit of formation of contingency fund provided in the Constitution.” The departments which have the biggest amounts yet to be accounted for include rural development, health and education. The Bihar government has now directed all drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) from each and every department to deposit all the detailed contingency (DC) bills to the office of Bihar’s accountant-general in Patna.

The total number of pending bills, according to the CAG report, is 46,809. The report states: “Rules were disregarded by the DDOs and circle officers.”

It adds, “Scrutiny of records revealed that out of total withdrawals of Rs 11,924.44 crore on advance contingency bills, detailed contingency bills for only Rs 511.90 crores were submitted to the accountant-general in Patna, and no DC bills for the remaining amount of Rs 11,412.51 crores during the years 2002-03 to 2007-08 were submitted.”

CAG has criticized Bihar government for “failing” to tap its tourism potential due to a lack of planning and professional approach. In its latest report, the CAG pointed out that the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation Limited (BSTDC) failed to meet the challenges despite immense tourist potential. It recommended the formation of a state tourism policy and the preparation of a long-term perspective with clear targets.

“Though tourism is recognised as an industry, the government has not laid down any tourism policy for the state,” the CAG report tabled in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha.

Despite a 52.76% increase in tourist inflow in 2008-09 from 2004-05, the percentage of tourists availing the company’s accommodation facilities remained abysmally low in the range of 0.43-0.51% for domestic tourists and 0.60-3.73% for foreign tourists.
Efforts should be made to infuse professionalism in management with a view to provide qualitative services, CAG report said.

It also advised the state to undertake serious efforts to improve the process involved in planning and execution of infrastructure projects with an aim to avoid procedural delays and complete the projects in due time. The report said that the targeted occupancy level of 60% could not be achieved in almost all the hotels between 2004-05 and 2008-09.

The occupancy target was never reviewed by the board and further non-achievement of the minimum targeted occupancy levels resulted in a potential loss of revenue of Rs5.15 crore in 2004-09, the CAG report reveals.

The corporation receives fund from the ministry of tourism, Centre and the state government for development of infrastructure.

The utilisation percentage of available funds ranged between a dismal 1.34% and 23.52%, it said. Despite availability of funds, the company failed to commence projects.

October 2010 State Elections on the anvil

Bihar Assembly passed three bills on March 29, 2010. Bihar Agriculture (Amendment) Bill 2010 for opening a new Agriculture University at Sabaur in Bhagalpur district, Registration (Bihar Amendment) 2010 and Bihar Finance Bill, 2010 has been cleared.

While power is one of the most key requirements for industrial investment and per capita power consumption remains the lowest in Bihar (76 units compared to 612 units for all-India (2005 figure)), the power struggle for Bihar assembly election 2010 has commenced. The election is due in October 2010. Only 10.3% houses are electrified in Bihar as against the national proportion of 55.8%.

Even as the election draws nearer, the JD(U) has raised the issue of special state category status to Bihar for ensuring its all-round development. There is no denying the fact that there is merit in the demand for special state category status but all through the tenure of the JD (U)led government there wasn't much effort made to press for the same. The resolution to launch the campaign was adopted at a state council meeting attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and state party chief Vijay Kumar Choudhary.

The ruling JD(U) also resolved to wage a struggle against the Centre for its "gross injustice" being meted out to the state in providing central assistance and clearance of projects for manufacturing ethanol out of sugarcane juice, hindering the progress of the state to a great extent. The meeting also criticised the Centre for not giving coal linkages for setting up thermal power plants in Bihar.

As per new CII-KPMG study, Bihar's Educational Development Index (EDI) remains the lowest in the country.

At a recent meeting of Bihar Chamber of Commerce (BCC) and the state’s top police officers in Patna, the Economic Times reported that instead of law and order Patna’s worsening traffic situation was discussed unlike five years ago.

OP Shah, a former chief of BCC, is today a franchisee partner in Bihar for Hindustan Unilever (HUL). Shah says he wouldn’t have taken up this partnership and opened a Rs 30-crore detergent plant in Hajipur if it was not for the restoration of law and order. HUL was scouting for a local entrepreneur for a detergent plant in Bihar since 1993.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar says that statistics on his side. In December 2009, Bihar topped the chart for cement consumption in the country with an annual growth of 36%.

The state economic survey shows that the construction sector grew by 83.58% in 2006-07 and 43.85% in 2008-09.

The new infrastructure being built, including roads, bridges and other public works, contributed 13.4% of the state GDP against 4.2% in 2003-04.

Truck sales grew by 150% in the seven months till October 2009 on a Y-o-Y basis.

Bihar government finally rescinded the contract with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) for reopening the closed sugar mill at Motipur in Muzaffarpur district. This was announced in the state assembly by Gautam Singh, the Industry Minister. RIL was awarded the contract for reopening the sugar mill through competitive bidding. RIL deposited 10 per cent of the bid amount and the state government later issued a letter of intent to it. The repeated requests of the state government to RIL for starting the work failed to yield any response. Singh said that the government had cancelled the contract and would be floating fresh tenders for reopening of the mill. The state government had acquired 266 acre land for the Motipur sugar mill.

It has been reported that Reliance is not the first industry to back out from Bihar. Solanika Tractors, Gujarat Ambuja and several other industries came and went without making any investment.
Some say it is because of law and order situation requires further improvement.

Nitish Kumar had promised to carry out land reforms. In pursuance of the same he set up a Land Reforms Commission (LRC) under the Chairmanship of D. Bandyopadhyay. Bandyopadhyay is credited as a key architect of land reforms in West Bengal. The full report of the Commission was submitted to the Chief Minister in April 2008. The report was not made public.

When demands arose for immediate implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, another committee was set up to study the recommendations of the Commission.

The Commission has recommended “assignment of at least 10 decimals of land to shelter less household of 5.84 lac non-farm rural workers each who are in the state of semi-bondedness as they live on the land of other landowners”. But the government informed the Bihar Assembly that the government, only 3 decimal plots is being planned for the shelter-less people.

Ninty percent of the state’s population lives in villages and 74% workforce employed in agriculture. Agriculture accounts for only 33% of the state’s domestic product.

Marginal and small farmers constitute some 96.5% of total landowners own about 66% of the total land while medium and large farmers constituting only 3.5% of the landowning community own roughly 33% of the total land.

As per NSSO figures, the LRC report points to a reverse trend of land concentration: between 1992 and 2003, the proportion of large landowners has gone down from 0.2 per cent to 0.1 per cent, yet their share in total land area has increased from 4.44 per cent to 4.63 per cent over the same period!

The proportion of the landless or the near landless among the rural poor is steadily increasing – from 67% in 1993-94 to 75% by the turn of the century.

Between 1991 and 2001, outmigration from Bihar increased by over 200 per cent, whereas the average increase for all the Indian states stood at just 21.5 per cent.

Between 1991-92 and 1995-96, agriculture in Bihar grew at the negative rate of (-)2 per cent per annum, followed by a very sluggish 0.8 per cent rate of annual recovery for the next six years (when nationally agriculture grew at 3% per annum).

Inspite of “perhaps the most fertile soil in the world and copious water resources”, LRC finds it “evident that there is a structural bottleneck in Bihar agriculture due to a very queer pattern of land ownership and very extortionate system of tenancy at will which are causing great impediment to accelerated rate of agricultural growth.”

“As a predominantly agricultural state, Bihar would have no option but to take to effective land reforms to burst asunder the fetters and shackles which had been preventing its many splendoured advancement,” notes the LRC report.

The key recommendations of the LRC are threefold:

(i) to do away with the present system of classification of land into six categories with ceilings varying from 15 acres to 45 acres and enforce the uniform ceiling of 15 acres for all kinds of land,

(ii) to allot between 1 acre and 0.66 acre of ceiling surplus land to the lowest quintile of agricultural labourers consisting of 16.68 lac household each and assignment of at least 10 decimals of land to shelter less household of 5.84 lac non-farm rural workers each,

(iii) to enact a Bataidari Act to ensure secure and heritable right of cultivation to all tenants/share-croppers with 60% share of the produce (if the landowner bears the cost of production) or 70 to 75 per cent of the produce (if the bataidar bears the cost of production).

Land reforms are required and is possible provided villagers of all ilk are made aware of the full report and its implications. Following which the valid concerns of the affected land owners can be addressed as well. Currently, an atmosphere is being created without the perusal of the report as if all hell will break loose if Commission's recommendations are implemented.

Diverse Colours of Bihar by-elections

Counting for the seven seats in Bihar will be taken up on September 17 as by-elections for some other seats are to be held in Bihar on September 15. In Bihar, elections were held in Bochaha (SC), Aurai, Kalyanpur, Warisnagar (SC), Ramgarh, Chainpur and Chenari (SC).

On September 15, Assembly by-elections will be held for the Bagaha (SC), Nautan, Begusarai, Tribeniganj, Simri–Bakhtiarpur, Araria, Dhuraiya (SC), Munger, Phulwari (SC), Ghosi and Bodh Gaya (SC) seats.

Of the 15 candidates facing murder and attempt to murder cases in all, 13 are contesting from Bihar alone.

In fact, the highest number of candidates with criminal background - 7 — is in the fray from Begusarai in Bihar followed by six such candidates in Nautan, also in Bihar.

Congress is going it alone in the assembly by-elections to 18 seats in Bihar keeping an equidistant from both RJD-LJP alliance and the NDA. Congress is attempting to revive itself in Bihar under the tutelage of Jagdish Tytler and Sachin Pilot.

Congress has lined up several national leaders for campaigning in the 18 seats in two phases - on September 10 and 15.

While Lalu Prasad-led RJD is contesting 13 seats, Ramvilas Paswan's LJP has fielded nominees on five seats in the state.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has accused the Congress ministers at the Centre of misusing official position for political purposes. "The ministers are misusing official position for the sake of politics," he said.

Referring to Union Rural Development Minister C P Joshi's charge that the state failed to utilise Rs 8,000 crore fund allocated by the Centre under various development schemes, Nitish said, "I have no complaint against Joshi...But political platform should not be used for the purpose of electoral politics...It is improper to use official position at the time of elections.

This war of words between a minority government led by Congress at the Centre and a majority government in the state reveals the nature of mandate which is generally not discussed these days.

Nitish Kumar’s decision not to field the kin of elected party MPs in the bypolls is being appreciated by the rank and file of the JD(U). This has upset at least one of the newly-elected JD(U) MPs from Gopalganj (SC), Purnamasi Ram, who has fielded his son Ajay Kumar Ram on the RJD symbol from Bagaha (SC). The Bagaha seat was earlier represented by Purnamasi Ram, who on being elected from the Gopalganj (SC) Lok Sabha constituency, relinquished his Assembly seat.

State Congress president Anil Kumar Sharma has criticized JD(U)'s General Secretary, Shivanand Tiwari for holding the Congress responsible for the bifurcation of Bihar. He said that it was the BJP and power-hungry leaders of the RJD who were responsible for it. He said that the RJD had joined hands with the JMM because it ran a minority government in Bihar and it was instrumental in passing a resolution by the Bihar assembly recommending creation of Jharkhand.

Political parties have fielded several tainted candidates for the assembly by-elections in Bihar. Analysis of the data gathered for a National Election Watch study shows that Bihar also leads others in the final tally, with 36 per cent (45 out of 123) of its candidates for the September 10 and 15 assembly byelections facing criminal charges.

The study of the affidavits of 202 of the 329 contestants in the fray in all states has revealed 64 candidates with self-declared criminal cases pending against them.

Indian National Congress has given maximum tickets to tainted candidates for the coming byelections. Of its 31 contestants, 13 (42 per cent) are facing criminal charges. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD comes a close second, having given tickets to 9 tainted persons out of 12 it had fielded.

BJP and JDU have fielded five tainted candidates each, making up 29.41 per cent and 45.45 per cent of the total.

On the front of fielding candidates with serious criminal charges, Congress leads the pack with six, followed by RJD and JDU at 4 each; CPI at 3, NCP, Lok Janshakti Party and CPM at two each.

Earlier, Hulas Pandey, younger brother of JD (U) suspended MLA and strong man Sunil Pandey, surrendered to the Patna police on 24 July, 2009 on the Bihar legislature premises soon after he took his oath.

A team of policemen was already deputed there to arrest him. Soon after courting arrest, in a reply to a question by the media that whom he considered his leader, he said it was known to every one ‘who was my leader.’ Hulas has been wanted in dozens of criminal cases including murder and kidnapping for ransom.

His name figured in a murder related case in 2003 in which he was made prime accused and the police believed Sunil as a conspirator along with him in the case.

Soon after he came out of the House, police took him in custody and produced him before the court concerned which remanded him to judicial custody.

Hulas is a named accused in the kidnapping of Patna-based neurosurgeon Ramesh Chandra in 2004 and for kidnapping a doctor from Muzaffarpur in north Bihar.

Hulas has become a member of the state legislative council after winning the recently concluded council polls. He is an Independent member. He defeated JDU's official candidate Bisheshar Ojha (a close relative of Munni Devi Ojha, Shahpur's BJP MLA)in the fray. It has been speculated that this BJP MLA supported the candidature of Hulas Pandey.