Patna, May 09: A wave of jubilation swept through 22,000 families of the employees of 19 Bihar government-owned boards and corporations when news of Supreme Court directing the government to deposit Rs 50 crore before the Patna high court for its disbursal to the employees reached them. ''We are thrilled by the apex court order as it is like the light at the end of the tunnel," Gopal Tiwari, office secretary of Bihar Lok Upkram Bachao Samiti said. Tiwari, an employee of the Bihar state industrial development corporation, said he had not received salary for over 17 months and added ''the condition of my colleagues is no different''. "At least four of my colleagues, died either of starvation or due to their inability to pay for medical treatment. "Even an under secretary fainted in his office a couple of days ago due to hunger. The minister for industries, Vishwamohan Sharma, was kind enough to hand over Rs 500 for his treatment but the amount was inadequate," Tiwari said.

The apex court order came as succour to Jagdish Mandal, an employee of the state construction corporation, who had sought permission of his managing director to sell off one of his kidneys to pay for the treatment of his ailing wife and a mentally challenged son.

Bureau Report