New Delhi, Jan 31 (KNN) Agitated over the murder to Bihar businessman Gunjan Khemka, the industry associations of the state have jointly raised alarm over rising crime against businessmen and have demanded setting up of immediate Task-Force to provide security to them.

The protesting industrialists said that such incidents are “defusing the atmosphere of fear” amongst the businessman in Bihar.

Khemka was murdered on December 19 just outside his surgical cotton manufacturing unit in Hajipur, 20 kms north of state capital. Khemka was also the state convener of BJP’s small scale industry cell in Bihar.

Within 48 hours of Khemka’s murder there was another incident of murder of an industrialists in Bihar’s Darbhanga.

After the murder of Bihar industrialists, there is fear among the businessmen concerning security issues in the state.

With the rising level of crime against businessmen, various industry bodies came together and discussed the matter with the government demanding immediate steps for building the safe environment for industrialists. One of the most important demands made by them was to form a task-force to provide security to the state’s business community.

While speaking with KNN India, President of Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, P K Agarwal said, “After this incident, various business organizations, in a meeting convened with Home Secretary, demanded special taskforce for the protection of businessmen and industrialists in the state.”

It has been officially announced also and soon will come into force in the state. Also various suggestions has been made to the government like holding of meetings quarterly with Superintendent of Police in every district.

He said that government is doing and will do its best for the safety and security of the businessmen as it’s a need of an hour.

With regard to this, President of Bihar Mahila Udyog Sangh, Usha Jha ,said that a memorandum prepared jointly by various organizations was submitted to the state government in which we demanded ‘Bihar Udyogik Surakhsa Bal’ for the protection of industrialist and the state government has also accepted it.

Besides, she said “We recommended the government that one police station should be there in each industrial territory for security reasons.”

Concerning the situation, she said not only matter related to crime against businessmen but all the cases that comes to court must have speedy trial.

Media reports have always been stating that a decade ago, the crime and corruption were growing uncontrollably in the state.

'Jungle Raj' came to be used as a parallel name for the kind of governance that was rampant in Bihar.

Incidents of doctors, businessmen, and women being kidnapped in broad daylight for ransom were very common and regularly made headlines in the newspaper.

The industrialists who said they are reminded of “Old Bihar” have pinned hope that the government would take immediate measures to cut crimes in the state and re-instate confidence amongst the business community. (KNN Bureau)