Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, September 5
In an overt signal to sway the dalit and tribals votes in the coming assembly elections, Bihar government has decided to provide government job to the family member of murder victim belonging to both the castes.
“One member from the family where a dalit or tribal is murdered will get job,” chief minister Nitish Kumar said at the meeting of review cum monitoring committee of the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act.
The meeting was attended by the dalit and mahadalit MPs and MLAs of Bihar. Former chief minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi welcomed the announcement of the chief minister and hoped this decision would give relief to the victims of atrocities on dalits and tribals.
However, leader of opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav regretted the decision of the chief minister and alleged Nitish kumar was playing caste card. He said if the RJD was elected to power in November elections, the job benefit would be extended to the families of the backward, extremely backward and upper castes victims too besides an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the families of dalits and tribals following murder
The chief minister asked the chief secretary to frame rules by amending the service conditions to enable implementation of the new scheme soon. He also asked the law secretary to ensure that all pending cases of SC and ST atrocities were investigated by September 20.
He also directed the officials to set up special courts and appoint special public prosecutors to defend the dalits and tribals. He asked the chief secretary to ensure all dalits and tribals were given houses and ration cards without delay.
Government decision came on the day LJP president Chirag Paswan issued full page advertisements in newspapers with slogans: “They are fighting to rule over us, we are fighting to defend the pride of Bihar.”
Chirag has convened a meeting of the LJP parliamentary board on September 7 to discuss seat sharing with the JDU for assembly elections.
