Patna:
The season of yatras continues. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had flagged off LK Advani's journey recently, has embarked on a yatra of his own. His is called the "seva yatra" and he is touring all the districts of his state, starting today.
The yatra begins from West Champaran. The symbolism will be lost on none - it was here that Mahatma Gandhi launched the civil disobedience movement. The ambitious yatra will see Mr Kumar, viewed by many as a Prime Ministerial aspirant as early as in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, tour his state in phases. The chief minister has said that he will use the yatra, expected to last over 100 days, to review the state's development and inform people about the government's initiatives in tackling corruption.
All preparations for the multi-phase yatra are in place. The chief minister, who met top district officials a few days ago, will spend three days in each of the state's 38 districts. His phased journey will end in March.
Rural Bihar would have little cause to complain, with roads which had fallen into neglect for many years have been repaired for the chief minister's journey. The district administrations have also begun a crackdown against criminals and are busy fine-tuning the welfare schemes that the chief minister is likely to review.
The chief minister and other leaders of the JD (U)-BJP alliance say the yatra is meant to take stock of the success of Bihar's governance model.
The NDA clearly believes in the power of the yatra as a political tool. BJP veteran L K Advani continues with his 'Jan Chetna Yatra' against corruption; he had kicked off his campaign from Chhapra in Bihar last month, with Mr Kumar by his side.
This will be Mr Kumar's sixth yatra in the last six years, and his fifth after taking over as Chief Minister. In January 2009, his "vikas yatra" or "march for development" saw him spending the night in different villages to collect feedback on public projects. The tour was believed to have contributed to the success of the NDA alliance, of which he is a member, in Bihar in the 2009 general elections. After the results were declared, he undertook a "dhanyavaad yatra" to thank people for voting for the NDA.
Sources say Mr Kumar, often praised for the development he has fostered in his state, wants to collect feedback on the Right to Public Service Act, introduced in Bihar on August 15 last year, to combat red tape and corruption. The Act guarantees that government departments will respond quickly to applications filed by the public. Around 50 services under 20 categories are covered by the Act. A certificate of caste, for example, can be obtained in a fortnight using this Act.
The yatra begins from West Champaran. The symbolism will be lost on none - it was here that Mahatma Gandhi launched the civil disobedience movement. The ambitious yatra will see Mr Kumar, viewed by many as a Prime Ministerial aspirant as early as in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, tour his state in phases. The chief minister has said that he will use the yatra, expected to last over 100 days, to review the state's development and inform people about the government's initiatives in tackling corruption.
All preparations for the multi-phase yatra are in place. The chief minister, who met top district officials a few days ago, will spend three days in each of the state's 38 districts. His phased journey will end in March.
Rural Bihar would have little cause to complain, with roads which had fallen into neglect for many years have been repaired for the chief minister's journey. The district administrations have also begun a crackdown against criminals and are busy fine-tuning the welfare schemes that the chief minister is likely to review.
The chief minister and other leaders of the JD (U)-BJP alliance say the yatra is meant to take stock of the success of Bihar's governance model.
The NDA clearly believes in the power of the yatra as a political tool. BJP veteran L K Advani continues with his 'Jan Chetna Yatra' against corruption; he had kicked off his campaign from Chhapra in Bihar last month, with Mr Kumar by his side.
This will be Mr Kumar's sixth yatra in the last six years, and his fifth after taking over as Chief Minister. In January 2009, his "vikas yatra" or "march for development" saw him spending the night in different villages to collect feedback on public projects. The tour was believed to have contributed to the success of the NDA alliance, of which he is a member, in Bihar in the 2009 general elections. After the results were declared, he undertook a "dhanyavaad yatra" to thank people for voting for the NDA.
Sources say Mr Kumar, often praised for the development he has fostered in his state, wants to collect feedback on the Right to Public Service Act, introduced in Bihar on August 15 last year, to combat red tape and corruption. The Act guarantees that government departments will respond quickly to applications filed by the public. Around 50 services under 20 categories are covered by the Act. A certificate of caste, for example, can be obtained in a fortnight using this Act.
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