Ruckus in Bihar assembly over "BIADA land scam"

Patna, Jul 20: Opposition MLAs today (Jul 20) disrupted Question Hour as they stormed the well of the state assembly over alleged "BIADA land scam" involving several kins and relatives of ministers and bureaucrats, forcing adjournment of the House once in the pre-lunch session.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, MLAs from opposition-- RJD, LJP and Congress, holding placards trooped into the well of the House.

They shouted anti-government slogans and demanded immediate resignation of Nitish Kumar government for alleged irregularities in allotment of land by Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) to wards and relatives of some cabinet ministers, MPs, legislators and bureaucrats.

Despite repeated requests by Speaker Udai Narain Choudhary, the agitated MLAs did not not relent and continued slogan shouting.

In the meantime, Leader of Opposition in the House Abdul Bari Siddiqui raised the irregular and illegal allotment of land of BIADA and demanded that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ensure a high-level inquiry by CBI to unravel the truths.

State Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary strongly opposed Siddiqui's statement and said the chief minister had already assured the House of looking into the matter.

Kumar has asked the Chief Secretary Anup Mukherjee to hold an in depth inquiry into the allotment of land and submit a detailed report to Chief Minister+, Choudhary said, adding in the light of CM's intervention in the matter, the opposition members should return to their seats and allow the question hour to continue.

But the slogan shouting in the well of the House continued unabated.

Speaker then took up the Question Hour amid the din. In the meantime, the state Rural Work Minister Bhim Singh was seen saying something against the opposition.

As the opposition MLAs vehemently opposed and started shouting slogans at the top of their voice, Choudhary adjourned the House till 1200-hours.

Opposition MLAs repeated similar scenes in the House when it re-assembled after the adjournment and continued to shout slogan to press for their demand.

Speaker then took up zero-hour and call attention notices by some members before adjourning the House till lunch-recess.

PTI