Patna, Sep 9 (IANS): Taking a dig at the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal, Bihar's Labour Resource Development Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said on Wednesday that the people of Bihar won't return to the lantern (RJD poll symbol) period as LED bulbs were in use now.

On Wednesday, RJD leader and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav announced support to self-help groups and unemployed persons who had called for lighting of lamps, candles, and lanterns for nine minutes at 9 p.m. on Wednesday to register their protest against privatisation and "acute joblessness" in Bihar. "Our party supports this campaign. Today, the biggest issue in the country is unemployment," Tejashwi said.

The Minister retorted: "In the last 15 years under the National Democratic Alliance government, the people of Bihar have covered a long distance on the developmental path. It is not a lantern period any more. Now, electricity has reached every house in urban and rural areas of Bihar. It is now the phase of LED. No one wants to return to that phase."

"LED is offering long guarantee of 2 to 5 years and the chance of fused bulb is minimum, while the lantern can go off anytime. It has no guarantee," said Sinha, a senior BJP leader.

As for migration of youths outside the state, Sinha pointed out that anyone getting a better job opportunity and money would definitely go to other places and no one could stop him or her.

"Many workers migrated from Bihar long ago. They now own houses in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. They came back to Bihar in coronavirus pandemic and will return to their places of stay in the unlock period. How can the Bihar government stop such people and ask they to stay back?" Sinha asked.

"Bihar is offering one crore jobs while only 24 lakh natives returned to Bihar during the lockdown. If we provide one crore jobs, resettling another 24 lakh persons is not a big deal. It is a propaganda created by the opposition to create chaos in Bihar. The ground reality is different from the claim made by RJD leaders," Sinha said.