Bihar:Mind Boggling Corruption At Block Level !

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kaushalya devi:The living testimony of maladministration

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Bihar has a new problem and that is increasingly becoming unmanageable and chaotic. Each and every district town is virtually jammed the whole day and the situation is getting worse each passing days. Years of neglect and single lane Pot-holed Roads are proving inadequate to handle the ever increasing number of vehicular traffic. This is the scenario when Nitish Kumar has own much accolades for his developmental drive which largely constitutes Construction and repairs of dilapidated roads and bridges which were either non-existent or he inherited them in horrible condition from Lalu Prashad Yadav-Rabri Devi government.

Nitish Kumar deserves the praises showered to him but the impression changes once you venture into countryside. Bihar has a few large towns and the rest of the states constitutes mostly of villages and district towns. Here nothing seems to have changed. Although works are in progress in these areas too but the pace of progress is too slow. Nothing seems to be moving and nobody seems to be accountable.After all Bihar has its own style and work culture.

One can understand the attitude of low level government staff but here whom the onus of development rests on, are in deep slumber;completely insulated from the ground realities. No wonder Bihari bureaucrats invite ridicule and contempt whenever their deeds are mentioned anywhere.

This is the state where Collector becomes the feudal lord and organizes Janata Durbar for his ego massaging. If he had the right intent then he would have solved many of the problems much earlier and hapless poor wouldn’t have to be part of this futile exercise. But these fellows are yet not ready to accept the fact that they are public servant and are duty bound to serve public; they enjoy lording over the miseries of the poor.

The attitudes of collector permeate to his juniors and Block Level Officers seem to exist only to swindle funds meant for public welfare. The brazenness and impunity of corruption is mind boggling.They consider this their birth right to have their share from each and every initiatives.

As alleged by villagers and a report of that effect published in various media platforms a few months ago, Rajnagar BDO, of Madhubani district refused to act and help a desperately poor and ill person of Koilakh village who ultimately died due to hunger.Who says hunger-death doesn’t occur in this rapidly increasing economy?

The deceased person’s widow,60 years old Kaushalya Deviis forced to live under a tree. In spite of being aware of the situation, nothing has been done. Funds meant for building houses for poor are grossly mishandled and are only given to those who pay the bribe upfront. Poor and ill woman like Kaushalya Devi can not arrange that sum upfront, so her case is being deferred on some or other pretext whereas the bum-chums of the husband of Mukiya, are rewarded handsomely.This is high time that National commission of women intervenes and help her get justice otherwise the plot of land where her house once stood and which she is always staring at would be forcibly occupied by her immediate neighbour.She has been beaten up mercilessly by her thug neighbour to scare her away.These appalling and inhuman practices can not be done without the connivance of District and Block level officers who have been intimated innumerable time by some concerned villagers.

Their unstated logic is simple that even god melts and showers blessing after hearty worships and Prasad. They consider themselves the god of poor and helpless so they too would wake up only when their share of Prasad is offered to them.

The government has standard answers for each of these issues and refuses to take stern action. But the public is getting restless and would show that during the most opportune time.

These self-serving officials would keep minting moolah irrespective of which ever government is at the helm of affairs.Nitish Kumar should instruct these feudal lords to stop organizing events to showcase their prowess and start working as a public servant.Whatever be the quality of bureaucracy,they must be told to deliver and held accountable as well. Otherwise like the Raj Nagar BDO, all officials would be only interested in his percentage of booty and Poor and hapless lady like Kaushalya Devi would be forced to die under the open sky?