Low minimum wage forcing labourers' migration from Bihar: Sushil Kumar Modi

PATNA: BJP, now in the opposition after its split from JD(U), today criticised the Nitish Kumar government for fixing daily minimum wage at paltry Rs 162 which, it said, has forced labourers to migrate to other states.

Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters that labourers from Bihar were migrating to states like Gujarat in search of better remuneration as they are not getting even the minimum stipulated wage.

Modi was speaking at Kargil Chowk where he led a day-long sit-in by BJP leaders and workers to protest against police firing on the Tharu tribal people at Bagaha four days ago in which six tribals were killed and others suffered bullet injuries.

Slamming the state government for an insensitive attitude towards Tharu tribal people, many of whom have gone over to Gujarat for work, he said the recent police firing has shaken their confidence about safety and security, he said.

Modi reiterated his demand for Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of those killed in police firing and arrest of the guilty policemen on murder charge, saying he would fast for 24 hours next week if the state government failed to meet his demand.

On Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's warning to BJP leaders to expose them, Modi dared him to do so and wondred what he was waiting for.