Bihar Cm says hoarding, black marketing by small traders not crimes

Patna, Stirring up yet another controversy, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has said that hoarding and black MARKETING of goods by small TRADERS will not be treated as crimes and asked them not to worry about such activities.

“I am aware that small traders indulge in hoarding and black marketing of goods to MAKE PROFIT in order to sustain their families and educate their children,” he said on Tuesday at a function organised by Bihar State Foodgrain Businessmen’s Association.

“You please don’t worry about your activities as the state government will not punish you for hoarding and black MARKETING on small scale,” Manjhi said with a bemused Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in the audience.

Virtually defending hoarding and black MARKETING by petty TRADERS, the Chief Minister said that he did not mind such activities as the TRADERS were doing it for a noble cause – to sustain their families and educate their children.

Continuing in the same vein, he said that hoarding and black marketing by small traders have had no impact on the demand and supply of goods in market as the quantity of goods being hoarded by the traders was insignificant in volume.

The Chief Minister’s off-the-cuff remarks came at a time when the Centre has asked state governments to crack down on the hoarders and black MARKETEERS to contain price rise and inflation.

“Black marketing should be banned everywhere. It is a threat to India’s economy,” Gurudas Dasgupta of the CPI said.

Manjhi has been in the news for his controversial remarks, which have embarrassed his party – the Janata Dal (United) and his predecessor Nitish Kumar, who had handpicked him as his successor soon after the party fared miserably in the Lok Sabha elections.