Protest Against BPL a Conspiracy; Says the CM
Patna: Mar. 23, 2007
 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Friday, said the recent surge in the protest over the alleged irregularities in the list of people living below the poverty line (BPL) was part of a 'well-managed conspiracy' as the new system is designed to eliminate black-marketing of food grains as had been the case in the old system.
"The coupon system to distribute food among those living under the poverty level is designed to cut down on corruption in the distribution system and this is making some people and officials very nervous," Kumar said at a statewide convention of the Janata Dal (U) youth wing in Patna to mark the centennial anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the birth anniversary of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia.
 "I have said it several times in the state Assembly that if there is any problem with the current listing, we will be more than happy to make required changes in it. It is ironical that though the BPL list was prepared in 2002 during the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) regime, some leaders have suddenly now woke up to the fact that it contains some major flaws," the Chief Minister said at a jam-packed S. K. Memorial Hall.
JD-U national president Sharad Yadav invited the party youths to vow to assist the government in rebuilding Bihar. "You should never do anything that could tarnish the image of the Nitish government that is working so hard to improve the image of the state by working on so many developmental projects," Yadav said.
Others to attend the function were party state president Rajiv Ranjan Singh, party national spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari, Ali Anwar, Bhola Prasad Singh, Arjun Rai, Nagmani, Water Resources minister Ramashray Prasad Singh, Panchayati Raj minister Narendra Narayan Yadav, Building Construction Minister Monazir Hasan, Education Minister Brishin Patel and Prabhunath Singh who said there was a conspiracy against development in Bihar that was being masterminded by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
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