Opposition walkout from Assembly over BPL list

Patna, Feb 28 (UNI) The irregularities in Below Poverty Line (BPL) list rocked Bihar Assembly following a ruckus created by the Opposition on the issue which finally announced to boycott the proceedings during the post lunch session and staged a noisy walkout of the House.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, RJD member Shyam Rajak tried to draw the Chair's attention to his adjournment motion.

He said gross irregularity had been committed by the state government in preparing the BPL list which includes names of ministers, relatives of MLAs and other affluent people.

Speaker Udai Narayan Choudhry turned down the adjournment motion and took up the enlisted business. To this the RJD members, followed by the members of Congress, CPI, CPM, CPI (ML) and LJP, trooped to the well and created noisy scenes. Waving placards, the Opposition members shouted anti-government slogans demanding cancellation of the BPL list.

The Question Hour continued amid uproar and later the House was adjourned till 1220 hrs. The pandemonium continued when the members reassembled and the all efforts of the Chair to bring the House in order remained futile after which the Speaker adjourned the Lower House till lunch.

When the House met for the post lunch session, the Opposition showed its rigidity over its demands for acceptance of the adjournment motion and hold a special debate on the irregularities in BPL suspending other proceedings.

Intervening in the situation, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the government was ready for the debate as it would pave way for rectifying the anomalies. The list had been prepared on the basis of the guidelines sent by the Centre, said Mr Kumar.

RJD member Ramchandra Purvey, however, said the BPL list shows 'inefficiency and inertness' of the state government and the anomalies of the list had created a crisis like situation.

Later LJP member Maheshwar Singh said the poor had been left out of the list and the Speaker should accept the adjournment motion otherwise attending the House would be meaningless.

Announcing to boycott the proceedings, the LJP members staged a walkout of the House followed by the CPM, CPI, Congress, CPI (ML) and RJD.

UNI