Monday, April 4 2005 08:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Virtually pouring cold water on the latest initiative of Janata Dal United (JDU) Chief Ministerial candidate Nitish Kumar to form a Government, Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan yesterday (Apr 3, 2005) said that his party was not in a hurry to form the Government and it would take steps in that direction only on his own terms.

Till then President's Rule was the most suitable option, Paswan said.

''I have not even opened the letter written by Kumar soliciting support of the LJP and other non-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) parties to form a Government in the State and I will not do it as long as the JDU continues it ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),'' Paswsn told reporters emerging after an hour-long meeting with Bihar Governor, Buta Singh, at the Raj Bhavan.

''LJP will take steps for formation of the Government only on its own terms that his party will have no truck with any combination in which the RJD or BJP has any role,'' he said, maintaining that till that time President's Rule was the best option for the State.

Paswan, who headed a 23-membner party delegation to the Governor, said, ''We told Singh that President's Rule was working well in the State, but suggested to him to overhaul the administrative machinery, particularly at the lower level for better results.''

He told the Governor that at many places district magistrates, bloc development officers and officers-in-charge of police stations have been posted for a long time and administrative efficiency would be ensured only by replacing them with new ones, he said.

Paswan said that they told the Governor that due to corruption many development schemes had not been implemented properly and there was an urgent need to take drastic steps in that direction.

He pointed out corruption in setting up houses for weaker sections under the Indira Awas Yojna and distribution of red cards to the people living below poverty line and requested the Governor to address the problem at the earliest.

Appreciating the district magistrate of Gopalganj, K K Patha, and the DM C K Anil and superintendent of police of Siwan Rata Sanjay for taking bold steps against the wrongdoers, Paswan said that they drew the Governor's attention towards the RJD's tirade against these officials and requested the Governor not to act on any complaint from them (the RJD's) against these officials.

Anil, who had in February banned the entry of RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin into Siwan for six months, had prohibited senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari from entering into Siwan for two months because of his 'provocative' speech against the DM during a railway function last week in which Laloo Prasad was present.

He said that he had also suggested to the Governor to take steps for speedy clearance of salary arrears of Madarsa and Sanskrit schoolteachers and expedite the process of recruitment of trained teachers in schools.

He said that the Governor said he would initiate steps for recruitment of about 85,000 teachers soon.

Paswan said that the delegation also requested to take steps for converting the house of former Assembly Speaker Gulam Sarvar, who died after a prolonged illness some months back, to a memorial.

He said that he suggested to the Governor for administrative reform and requested him to act impartially without being influenced either by him or anybody else.