BJP stays put in minister bungalows

On edge,Lalu silent

RJD chief Lalu Prasad,waiting for the verdict on the fodder scam,seems to have put all his programmes on hold. Usually a media-savvy politician ready to speak on every issue,he has fallen silent. RJD insiders said their chief is “greatly disturbed because his political career may be at stake” should he be convicted. The party,which had planned a yatra for Tejaswi Prasad Yadav,Lalu and Rabri Devi’s youngest son,has put that too on hold. A few months ago,it had taken out a Parivartan Yatra. Now that the RJD appears unsure of its strategy,it has allowed the Congress and the JD(U) some time to prepare theirs ahead of next year’s elections.

Rain & paddy worries

Low rainfall and rice cultivation in 20 of Bihar’s 38 districts have caused concern. The government has not yet declared a drought; a crisis management group will review the situation. In eight districts,plantation of rice has been less than 50 per cent until the third week of August,though overall the state has seen 74 per cent plantation. Gaya has planted only 23.56 per cent,followed by Nawada,Banka,Shekhpura,Jamui,Jehanabad,Lakhisarai and Patna. Three of the districts had received 65 per cent rainfall less than normal until the second week of August. Rainfall between the first week of July and the first week of August is crucial for paddy plantation.

Special SC,ST courts

The state will set up special courts for taking up cases under the SC/ST Act. The government already has a number of welfare schemes for the scheduled castes. In the first phase,courts will be set up in Patna,Begusarai,Gaya,Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur. The government has opened dedicated police stations at several district headquarters to take up cases under the Act. An inspector general heads the crime branch wing for these sections. Government sources say they have taken serious note of a recent incident in Rohtas where a Dalit was killed after a group of upper-caste members attacked those of the former’s community.