The CPI(ML) has strongly condemned the increase in taxes by 13.5% on essential goods in the name of revenue increase by the Nitish government. Protests were held across the state on 16 January. Party State Secretary Kunal said that it is quite unfair and unnecessary to raise taxes on the people when they are already burdened with spiraling prices. The Nitish government has got a mandate from the poor in Bihar for development and guarantee of justice, not for increasing the already sky high prices. The Bihar government is following the footsteps of the Central government and both are bent on making the common man to shoulder the burden of price rise in various ways, proving that both are anti-people governments.
Com. Kunal further said that the government is not keeping its promise on its electoral promise of total prohibition, which has now been limited to country liquor alone; in other words, the sale of foreign liquor and black marketing of country liquor will continue. On the other hand, using the loss of revenue through prohibition as an excuse, it is raising taxes on essential goods; the government could have explored other means of compensating the revenue loss such as taxing the rich and ending corruption.
As part of the state-wide protests, demonstrations were held in front of several district headquarters with the demand to revoke the raised taxes without delay. Effigies of Nitish Kumar were burnt in Rohtas and Nasriganj. A protest march was taken out at Nawada. Effigy burning was also done in Jehanabad, Nawada, Siwan, Bhojpur, Bhagalpur, Beguserai, Darbhanga, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Arwal and all other districts.
