Home Minister Amit shah’s high claim in his first virtual rally about Bihar being shifted from lantern to l.e.d has posed a serious question of credibility and demands a very distinct analysis.
Apart from the previously unresolved and pending issues like Education and Health systems, crime and corruption rate, poor infrastructure and incessant poverty the state is currently facing some novel threats which Nitish government under the alliance with Bjp may forget but would be difficult for the people of Bihar to disregard.
Followings are some latest on ground challenges which is needed to be solved and produce a question mark on the L.E.D era of bihar.
The COVID – 19 pandemic which no doubt is a predicament for the world and India and it is no less a migraine for Bihar as well. State government has immensely been unsuccessful and irresponsible in fighting it. Although the number of cases as compared to India’s hotspots is very low but keeping in mind the state’s unfortunate health system and very few corona testing centres along with poorly managed quarantine centres – the increasing number of cases from approx 100 to 250 everyday is a matter of concern. Bihar has total 4,915 confirmed cases as of 8th June 2020.
When nearly 33% of Bihar’s population already live below poverty line the large influx of migrants Labour from all over India has created an atmosphere of fear not only among the arrivals but also to the Nitish regime. The state government has issued a notice on 29 May 2020 directing the district administration to make provisions combating the criminal activities and other misleading offences which may occur due to massive migration. The directions points out that due to this enormous inflow of unemployed labourers chances are likely that people will go beyond their ethics to meet their basic requirements ( food, medicines etc) and that will clearly leads to rise in crime rate. The ineptness of state government in managing the crisis is clearly visible by this directive.
With only 17% industrial sector in Bihar, will the Nitish government be able to provide employment to such massive unskilled laboures is also a question of apprehension.
Lastly, the state has also seen a 83% plunge in tax collection in April ,the reason why deputy CM Sushil Modi has asked centre to bear share of costs towards 66 centrally sponsored schemes for a year.
Hitherto, poor class has been disappointed from the government plus organisation of virtual rally and setting up 1,000 LED screens and 5, 000 smarts tv’s when they have not been able to provide basic facilities to the citizens has as generated a sense of suspicion among the literate masses. Over and above ,the opposition is also doing its best in pointing out such proceedings.
In such a peril situation it is totally upon the people of Bihar that will they gonna prefer PAN India Nationalism of Bjp and ignore the apathy in governance by the jdu led alliance.
And, only the time will reveal that would NDA really be able to get two-third majority in upcoming Assembly elections in the state that came at the top of India’s BIMARU states.
Neha Perween
Student of MA political science
Aligarh Muslim University
Contact – [email protected]
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