A day after annulling 33 Cabinet decisions taken by his predecessor, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday justified his government’s action saying “the decision were, in fact, non-decisions”. However, his ally Rashtriya Janata Dal along with Opposition BJP and the Lok Janshakti Party has condemned the move.
“The decisions annulled on Wednesday were, in fact, non-decisions taken against the rules and procedures of executive business”, said Mr. Kumar. The decisions were taken by the Manjhi Cabinet on February 10, 18 and 19.
Some of the decisions included giving 13 months’ salary to policemen in a year, reservation for upper caste poor in government jobs, reservation for poor Dalits in government tenders of the Road and Construction Department and increasing the fund for legislators from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 3 crore annually under chief minister development schemes from next fiscal year.
“Even they (Manjhi government) could not have executed these irregular decisions”, he added.
“My USP is governance and rule of law. How could I allow such violations at the top level of the governance?”, asked Mr. Kumar, saying during his long political career in both Union and State governments, he had not seen such decisions taken without following the set rules and procedures of the Cabinet.
However, the alliance partner supporting the Nitish government from outside, the Rashtriya Janata Dal did not approve the decisions taken by the Nitish Cabinet.
“Nitish Kumar should reconsider his decision …some of them like 13 months’ salary to policemen were really good decisions”, said RJD leader Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha.
“Annulling the Manjhi Cabinet decisions has set a bad precedent. In this way any government could set aside the Cabinet decisions of the previous government at their whims and fancies”, state LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras told The Hindu .
Meanwhile, over one lakh policemen have decided not to celebrate Holi if the decision for 13 months’ salary is not implemented. They have threatened to go on agitation from March 27.
