Nitish Kumar govt draws flak over refusal to compensate victims of hooch tragedy

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has drawn flak from adversaries as well as allies over its refusal to pay compensation to family members of those who have died in the Saran hooch tragedyThe administration has confirmed 30 deaths since Tuesday night following suspected consumption of spurious liquor making it the biggest hooch tragedy in the state since it went dry over six years agoHowever the opposition BJP has claimed inside the state assembly as well as in a memorandum submitted to Governor Phagu Chauhan that the number of deaths was more than 100 a view echoed by Chirag Paswan an NDA sympathizer and strident critic of Chief Minister Nitish KumarI visited Saran today to meet the bereaved family members and was appalled to learn that the administration was putting pressure on them not to report deaths caused by hooch or attribute these to other causes so that the magnitude of the tragedy is downplayed I am told that the number of those who have died may be even as high as 200 Paswan told PTIBhasha over phoneAlso Read No compensation to those who die after consuming liquor Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in Assembly amid hooch deathsThe Jamui MP also questioned the obstinacy of the CM over paying exgratia to the bereaved family members pointing out why is he adopting double standards The adjoining district of Gopalganj was struck by a hooch tragedy in 2016 shortly after the prohibition law had come into force He compensated the victims thenNotably the longestserving CM has adopted a righteous stance on the issue of compensation asserting that the ban on liquor was based on Gandhian principles which those who have consumed hooch had violated and hence they deserved no compensation for the ganda kaam abominable actSenior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi a former deputy CM and oncetrusted lieutenant of Kumar also visited Saran separately and echoed similar views as that of the Jamui MPThe CM had compensated the victims of Gopalganj in 2016 despite prohibition Now he says that the liquor ban will be affected by compensating Saran victims This shows that he is capable of taking a Uturn in every matter said the BJP leader whose party lost power in August this year as a result of Kumars volte faceBoth Paswan and Modi were also livid over Kumars repeated remark piyoge to maroge if you drink you shall be doomed to die which they described as highly insensitivePolitical strategistturnedactivist Prashant Kishor a former close aide of the Bihar CM said the remark piyoge to maroge made him regret having worked for Nitish Kumar a man who was once conscientious enough to have resigned as railway minister in the wake of a train accidentThe CPIMLLiberation which supports the Mahagathbandhan government from outside called for not just compensation but rehabilitation punarvaas of families which may have been in dire straits upon the death of a breadwinner in the hooch tragedyIn a statement the ultraLeft party said it will also hit the streets on Monday in protest against the nexus between liquor mafia and the administrative machinery across the stateThe party said it had sent a threemember delegation comprising sitting and former MLAs to Saran to take stock of the situationMost of the deceased belong to very poor families The hooch tragedy has destroyed many homes Its impact has now reached the adjoining district of Siwan the statement saidIncidentally the administration in Siwan has confirmed six deaths caused by suspected consumption of spurious liquor in parts of the district adjoining SaranThe government must show sensitivity and agree to not just pay an exgratia but also take the responsibility of treatment of those who have fallen ill after consuming liquor besides the education of the children of those who have died It must also set up deaddiction centres so that the scourge of alcoholism may be nipped in the bud the statement addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever