Patna,(BiharTimes): Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s statement made on Monday that the former BJP ministers could stay at their ministerial bungalows till they wish and that the issue should not be made a subject of dispute has come as a surprise as it suggests that there is no immediate plan to expand cabinet and induct new ministers.
While the BJP leaders are now stating that the chief minister has buckled under pressure and agreed to ask the former ministers to stay as long as they wish they are also claiming that Nitish is facing enormous problem in expanding his cabinet. The BJP is repeatedly stating that once any move is taken to expand the cabinet the ruling Janata Dal (United) would split.
Interestingly, the deadline given to the former ministers to vacate their bungalows ended only on September 8.
It needs to be recalled that the former ministers have requested for allotment of suitable accommodation to them from the legislators' pool.
However, Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary, who returned from abroad on Sunday, said he had no information about the applications of former ministers. But he made it clear that if accommodation is available in the Assembly pool, he would allot them to the applicants and if it is not available, he would order for housing allowance at the rate of Rs 28,500 per month to them, as admissible under the rules.
The BJP had alleged that the state government had allotted 15 bungalows to the JD (U) leaders who did not qualify for ministerial bungalows.
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