Maoists warn of action against corrupt Bihar officials

PATNA - Maoist guerrillas in Bihar have warned of action against dishonest officials if rampant corruption is not curbed in the implementation of government sponsored welfare shemes, police said Tuesday.

The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist in its stronghold Arwal district, about 80 km from here, asked the authorities to immediately curb rampant corruption in the implementation of the shemes.

We will be forced to take action against corrupt officials, Maoists said in their posters pasted in public places in the district.

The rebels pointed out that rampant corruption was depriving the poor of the benefits of the welfare schemes, a police officer said.

The welfare schemes include integrated child development scheme, mid-day meal scheme, public distribution system, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the national maternity benefit scheme, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and the Annapurna Yojana.

Local dailies here reported that the Maoists were angered as there were major leakages in government-run food schemes. As a result, large numbers of destitute women and men continued to face starvation and hunger.

Bihar has been hit very badly by drought and flood. As many as 26 districts are drought-affected. Nearly 40 percent of Bihar’s 83 million people live below the poverty line, the highest in India, according to a World Bank report.