Patna,(BiharTimes): Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad’s phone-call to Darbhanga civil surgeon, Sriram Singh, urging him to reinstate a group of Mamta health workers belonging to Scheduled Castes has provided another opportunity to Bharatiya Janata Party to raise the issue of “super chief minister” in Bihar.

There are around 5,000 Mamta workers in Bihar, who are supposed to help expecting mothers by taking them to health centres at the time of delivery and look after new-born babies. They are not permanent government employees and are paid an incentive of Rs 100 per delivery.

According to reports Lalu rang up when a group of women Mamta health workers a few days back met Lalu seeking their restoration in the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

Soon after the call the Civil Surgeon in the letter, dated January 11, 2016, requested the superintendent of Darbhanga Medical College Hospital to reinstate them, who were removed by the previous civil surgeon. A copy of the letter, written on his official letterhead, has been sent to the RJD chief and principal secretary, health, R K Mahajan.

The Darbhanga Civil Surgeon initially avoided making any direct comment on the issue. However, he just said that the matter was related to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital and he just wrote a suggestive letter after receiving call from Lalu. It should not be wrongly interpreted.

But Lalu, whose son Tej Pratap Yadav is state health minister, sees no wrong in calling on the Civil Surgeon. He said several Mamta workers met him and it was his duty to help them on their genuine demand. He said that he was not bothered about the criticism of the BJP leaders as there is nothing wrong in helping the women belonging to the weaker section of the society.

On the other hand DMCH superintendent Santosh Kumar Mishra said he was not answerable to political leaders and added he was not the appointing authority of Mamta workers, nor the discharging authority. It is not his business to report back to political leaders, but to high officials in Patna.

However, he added that there was a plethora of complaints of high-handedness against the Mamta workers from the patients of the gynaecology ward of the hospital.