Patna: Holding the Centre and state
governments responsible for unprecedented rise in the prices
of essential commodities, the RJD today demanded that `Right
to Food` be included in the fundamental rights of the people.
Deciding to launch a nation wide agitation on price rise,
RJD President Lalu Prasad appealed to people to make the Bihar
bandh, called on January 28 on the issue, successful, and held
"both the Centre and state governments responsible for the
price rise."
Prasad, who was attending an RJD meeting, alleged that
the NDA government in Bihar failed to initiate action against
the black marketeers and hoarders which triggered the price
rise.
Demanding that `Right to Food` should be included in the
fundamental rights, the meeting recalled that the United
Nations had passed a resolution in 1974 declaring `food` as
the fundamental right of the people.
Though 156 countries had ratified the resolution, it was
yet to take the form of an act, the RJD said.
Refusing to give credit to the Nitish Kumar government
for the 10.03 per cent growth rate, the RJD claimed this was
primarily due to the money pumped into Bihar by the first UPA
government "of which we were the partners."
"We had ensured the flow of funds in Bihar," Lalu
Prasad said.
Alleging the people at the grassroots were dying of
hunger, the NREGA became a failure in the state, the BPL list
was yet to be rectified and the farmers were not getting
relief, the RJD Executive Committee said despite the `litany
of failures` the Nitish Kumar government was busy collecting
awards claiming allround development of the state.
Referring to the report of Bihar becoming second to
Gujarat with 10.03 per cent growth rate, the RJD said hence
the JDU-led government should forget the demand of special
category status to the state.
The meeting was also attended by leader of opposition
in Bihar Assembly Rabri Devi, Lok Sabha MPs, former MPs, MLAs,
MLCs and state office bearers.
PTI
