Speaker speaks out again: Crime gone out of control

PATNA: Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha, who was at the receiving end of chief minister Nitish Kumar’s angry outburst in the House during the budget session earlier this year, has once again attacked the state government over the law and order situation.

Sinha, who was in his assembly constituency Lakhisarai on Tuesday, accused the government of protecting corrupt officials and removing good ones. “The crime graph in Bihar is increasing rapidly. There is no redress. Officers who have been given the responsibility of maintaining law and order should be made accountable,” he said.

Sinha was reacting to the murder of a girl child at Pipariya in Lakhisarai district on May 22. No arrest has been made in the case so far. The speaker said the local police inspector has a record of negligence of duty.

Police is under the home department, which is headed by CM Kumar himself. “Only transferring district magistrates and district police chiefs will not help. There is a need to change the mindset of the officers. A brake has to be put on their carelessness,” Sinha said. “We will also apprise chief minister Nitish Kumar about this. We will raise our voice about this,” he said, adding that Assembly committees he has formed would also take up the issue.

This is not the first occasion when the Speaker has questioned the working of police administration. There was a heated exchange between him and CM Nitish Kumar on the issue during the budget session.

In the past, Sinha has also openly complained of corruption and often expressed his dissatisfaction over pace of development works, citing the example of rural tap water scheme and alleging its implementation is unsatisfactory in 80 per cent of the households.

Sinha’s party BJP and CM Kumar’s JD-U are key constituents of the ruling NDA in Bihar.

The crime graph in Bihar is increasing rapidly. There is no redress

VIJAY KUMAR SINHA,

Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker