While the Bihar Government is deeply involved in rescue and relief operations in quake-affected districts bordering Nepal, a senior Minister shot off a letter of protest to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asking why another Minister was deputed in Raxaul in west Champaran to look after the relief operations ignoring him. Transport Minister Ramai Ram in a letter said he was pained and humiliated for being ignored for the relief work. Ram is Minister in-charge of West Champaran district but Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumarm Chaudhary was dispatched to Raxaul by the CM to look after the operation.
A furious Ram resigned as Minister in-charge. The CM acted promptly and accepted his resignation. “In this hour of tragedy, such things will not be tolerated. If any Minister resigns even from the Cabinet I will not take time in accepting it,” retorted Nitish. Nitish said Ram was still Minister in-charge of West Champaran but Chaudhary has been deputed at Raxaul under different circumstances. “In Raxaul relief camps have been set up and there was dire need for supervision there. When I visited Raxaul I found lack of coordination in relief works so deputed Chaudhary there,” the CM said while expressing his annoyance over Ram’s behaviour.
Chaudhary, who is number two in Nitish cabinet, said in Raxaul he had no idea about Ram’s anger. “He is a senior and experienced Minister and I don’t know under what circumstances he resigned,” he said and added that he has been deputed only to oversee the arrangements at the relief camps and not made Minister in-charge of that district.