Bihar government has not paid salaries to the 2.5 lakh school teachers, but the state education department has distributed microwave ovens as gifts to the state's 243 MLAs. State education minister Ashok Choudhary, sought to downplay teh "largesse" and said, "Each oven cost slightly over Rs 11,000, and the total cost of the 243 ovens would not be more than Rs 30 lakh."

Mr. Chaudhury said: “It’s unfair to compare this to other issues like salaries and condition of schools. In fact, our MLAs need to travel in their constituencies to inspect mid-day meals. So when they go, they can take their microwave ovens with them to keep the food warm.”

"The microwave oven has been given as it could be used by MLAs to heat the food served in midday meal scheme in their areas and test at home for its quality," Choudhary, who is also state Congress President, said.

Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav defended the government's generosity and said that most of the legislators in Bihar "are from economically backward" families. "Also it's an old custom," he said.

The Bihar Assembly has 243 members and the election affidavits of many of them show they are millionaires and own several luxury vehicles, even firearms. When the session starts, the Assembly premises witnesses a rush of all kinds of SUVs and luxury vehicles.

“It’s a cruel joke on the people of the State. While their representatives get such expensive gifts and bounties, the government is not able to pay salaries to its school teachers,” Ramadhin Prasad, a schoolteacher, said.

Earlier, in the ongoing budget session of the Assembly, the MLAs received smartphones and watches from the government.

By Premji