Stressing on the need for jobcreation on a large scale in Bihar in the wake of migrants returning in droves during the lockdown, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party on Friday urged the Nitish Kumar government to promote small projects by cutting through the proverbial red tape.RLSP national secretary-general Madhaw Anand said the state government could take a cue from the Centers new policy of no global tenders for purchases of Rs 200 crore announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this week.The state government should incentivise small projects which would cost not more than Rs 100 crore. Accountability and transparency should be ensured by awarding contracts, through nominations, only to well-reputed companies," he said.The RLSP leader, whose party is headed by its founder and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, said the need for such a step is there since the process of tender involves many stages and a project takes months to commence. And the state government, needless to say, cannot bear the expenses of millions of people for months together.It is estimated that more than a million people hailing from Bihar who lost their livelihoods on account of the nationwide lockdown have returned to their native places.The process has witnessed a spurt in the past fortnight when the Center, upon the request of respective state governments, began running trains to facilitate the migrants journey back home.As per the state government, the number of migrants who have come by the Shramik Special rakes till May 14 is 2.46 lakh. Moreover, hordes have been coming by trucks, privately hired buses and taxis.The migrants who have come back are not likely to be in the state of mind for returning to resume work at far-off places. Bihar can convert this crisis into an opportunity if we make use of this surplus workforce," the RLSP leader said.
