Ranchi, August 26: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the profile of Bihar has changed in the last 45 months and luminaries like noble laureate Amartya Sen and Bill Gates took note of its progress.
“Just now my party colleague Sailendra Mahato said Nobel prize winner Amartya Sen has praised Bihar’s progress…good governance is my priority,” Kumar said referring to a statement by Sen recently.
“Earlier, people use to look down upon Bihar. But after 45 months of our rule people like (Microsoft head) Bill Gates took notice of Bihar. Even other states are following Bihar’s policies,” Kumar declared at the Janata Dal (U)’s party meeting here.
Affirming his government’s commitment to women, Kumar said his government had arranged 50 per cent reservation for the fair sex in the panchayat elections.
“In her speech in parliament, President Pratibha Patil has mentioned that there will be an amendment in the Panchayat Act giving more representation to the women,” Kumar said.
Turning to the law and order situation in Bihar, Kumar said under the new dispensation 35,000 criminals had been brought to book.
“Lalu Prasad, who often addresses me as his younger brother, once acknowledged that it was a herculean task to change Bihar. But our government showed how things can be done,” Kumar commented.
—Agencies