Decrease in crime boosts state's industrial scene

PATNA: With the Bihar police hitting back at criminals with a vengeance in recent times, the state may shed the 'wild west'-tag for long attached to its name, earlier rather than later. For, the stray incidents of kidnapping and loot notwithstanding, the state police's latest effort to take criminals head-on is slowly, but surely, changing Bihar's industrial atmosphere which could pitchfork it as a investor-friendly state in the not too distant future. During the RJD regime a large number of traders had migrated to other states due to extortion by criminals and poor law and order situation. And the police headquarters here announces the good news of another kidnapper or murderer convicted almost every day. For the first time SPs have been asked to prepare a list of "10 most wanted criminals" in their district and nab them. In fact, the results are beginning to manifest itself in trade and commerce. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi today boasts about the 105 investment proposals in the state which till a year ago was notorious for migration of the business class. "We have already cleared several proposals. The proposals in setting up sugar mills will alone account for investment to the tune of over Rs 2,000 crore," he says. The hue and cry raised by Opposition parties over the alleged failure of Nitish Kumar government on law and order front notwithstanding, comparative statistics of crime during the Nitish Raj and the previous regime suggest a substantial improvement in the situation. Both the RJD and Congress have repeatedly come out with statistics to show that there had been alarming increase in incidents of crime during the NDA regime. Both the parties claim to have compiled the data on the basis of newspaper reports. However, the NDA government says not only has the crime graph has gone down, but more criminals have been prosecuted during its rule.

From January to June this year, 151 criminals have been convicted for kidnapping alone — a number them have been awarded life imprisonment in 48 different cases. Moreover, the number of encounters between the police and criminals have increased resulting in the arrest of more criminals during the NDA rule compared to the previous regime. Statistics compiled by the police headquarters between October 2005 to March 2006 show that 1,623 murders took place in the state d as compared to 1,751 murders recorded in the corresponding period the previous year. Moreover, the number of kidnappings recorded between October 2005 to March 2006 was 1,111, a substantial drop from 1,456 such cases recorded in the corresponding period the previous year. There has also been a drop in the number of rape cases — from 577 to 457. Even cases of dacoity, loot, thefts and bank heist have shown a downward trend during the Nitish Kumar rule. The new regime also claims that 64,519 criminals had been arrested during the NDA regime so far against 62,009 arrested during the previous regime. The NDA government claims to have seized 1,653 arms as against 1,505 during RJD rule. The police also claims that this became possible due to 'will power' shown by the people to fight criminals. In the month of June alone 111 criminals were awarded life imprisonment, while 34 were awarded sentence of more than 10 years. Another 346 criminals were awarded less than 10 years imprisonment. In the month of May this year, 105 criminals were awarded life termwhile 49 others were awarded rigorous imprisonment of 10 years