Jitan Ram Manjhi questions Nitish Kumar over implementation of his 34 agendas

Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi today questioned the Nitish Kumar government as to why it was implementing “modified” versions of his 34 agendas which were cancelled soon after he was removed from the post.  

Questioning his removal from the chief minister's post, Manjhi said, “The decision on 34 agendas which my cabinet had approved was cancelled shamelessly by Nitish Kumar after succeeding me, but today he is implementing those issues slowly and gradually.”

After coming back to power on February 22 this year following removal of Manjhi, Nitish Kumar cabinet had in its very first sitting struck down the decisions on 34 issues taken by his predecessor citing they did not conform with the laid down rules of cabinet.

But, these agendas were being put into action after “trimming” them “to put his own stamp”, Manjhi who has floated ‘Hindustani Awam Morcha', now a part of NDA, said.

 “My government had decided to pay salary of 13 months to policemen from Inspector down to constable ranks, but Nitish Kumar has omitted the Inspector rank from it while giving green signal to it,” Manjhi said.

“Likewise, my government had decided to give reservation to various categories, including OBC women in tender for road construction works of upto Rs. 25 lakh which the Nitish Kumar cabinet yesterday okayed but reduced the amount to Rs 15 lakh,” Manjhi, flanked by former ministers Narendra Singh and Nitish Mishra, said.

Similarly, my government's decision to constitute a panel to look into issue of regularising contractual employees has also been adopted by the present government, he added.  “When my decisions were right and in interest of people then what was my fault (for removing me from CM chair)? ...  Since I come from mahadalit family my decisions were annuled and today these are implemented after purifying them,” Manjhi alleged.

Manjhi said when he had initiated action against muscleman MLA Anant Singh he was removed from chair by Nitish and today he himself was initiating action against Singh “under pressure from RJD President Lalu Prasad and Jan Adhikar Party leader Pappu Yadav.”