BJP offers sops to voters in Bihar ahead of council polls

Patna: Apparently sensing that the outcome of legislative council polls on July 7 may set the tone for the Assembly polls in Bihar later in 2015, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday rained sops, including hikes in various allowances to representatives of three-tier panchayati raj institutions.

The NDA in the event of being elected to power in the Assembly polls will double monthly allowance for the ward

members of gram panchayat to Rs 1000 from Rs 500 announced by the incumbent JD(U) government, former Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement.

In addition, the ward members will be entitled to a bicycle each and a handpump will be installed on their

recommendation in the villages, he said.

The monthly allowance for the ward members of the urban civil bodies too will be doubled from the amount announced by the present government, Modi said.

In an allurement to mukhiyas, the senior BJP leader said the NDA government would raise their monthly allowance to

Rs 4000 from Rs 2500 proposed by the JD(U) government, while the deputy mukhiyas monthly allowance will be raised to Rs 2000 from Rs 1200.

The monthly allowance of pramukhs too will be hiked to Rs 12,000 against Rs 10,000 proposed by the state government, while the deputies of pramukhs called as 'up-pramukh' will get Rs 6000 against Rs 5000 proposed by the incumbent government, the former deputy chief minister said.

The zila parishad chairpersons' monthly allowance will be hiked to Rs 16,000 against Rs 12,000 proposed by the state government and the deputy chairpersons of zila parishad will get Rs 12,000 from Rs 10,000 announced by the incumbent government, he said.

Representatives of urban civil bodies will get 25 per cent more allowances than what has been proposed by the

state government, while panchayat samiti members will get Rs 2000 monthly allowance as against Rs 1000 proposed by the state government, Modi said.

Modi further announced that the members of zila panchayats would be given monthly allowance of Rs 5000 against

Rs 2500 proposed by the state government, besides the NDA government will appoint a panchayat secretary, deputy

secretary, accountant and an IT professional to assist the elected panchyat representatives in discharging their duties.

In addition, the NDA government will construct two-storied panchayat sarkar building in each panchayat at an

estimated cost of Rs 1 crore, he said.

It would also raise by four-fold development funds for panchayati raj institutions at Rs 23,5000 crore over the next five years against Rs 5500 crore given by the UPA government during the corresponding period.

Each panchayat will also get development funds between Rs 60 lakh to Rs 1 crore per year, the senior BJP leader said.

Accusing the Nitish Kumar government of failing to provide allowances to representative's of panchayat bodies,

Modi described the recent hike announced by the state government as an attempt to cheat them of votes.

BJP and its allies LJP and RLSP are contesting for 24 legislative council seats which go to poll on July 7 for which only the representatives of panchayati bodies are eligible voters.

While the BJP is contesting on 18 legislative council seats, its allies LJP and RLSP have put up four and two

candidates each.

The secular alliance comprising JD(U), RJD, Congress and NCP is also collectively fighting for 24 seats while the

RJD and JD(U) contesting for ten each, Congress and NCP three and one seats respectively.