Lalu finds fault in Nitish radio scheme for mahadalits

"Nitish is befooling mahadalits in the name of radio and not addressing their core problem," Prasad said addressing "Parivartan yatra" of the party here.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had launched the Mahadalit radio scheme under the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas mission on February 25 this year. He had said radios would make this section aware of popular government schemes like free distribution of uniforms, cycles and mid-day meals started for their socio-economic upliftment.

"The radio purchased at a paltry sum of Rs 150 a piece from Chandni chowk market in Delhi is dubbed as branded and a bill of Rs 3000 per piece raised from the state treasury," he alleged.

To drive home his point, the RJD chief called a mahadalit youth on the stage and asked whether the radio provided to his family was functioning the youth answered in negative.

SC/ST Welfare minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had recently told Assembly that the government has distributed about six lakh radio sets among mahadalits, a sub-group of dalit castes, across the state.