Emboldened by the success of the five previous yatras he undertook since 2005, Nitish will embark on the yatra from Bettiah in Champaran to get a feedback about the Right to Service Act he had implemented earlier this year.
In the process, he will cover 10 districts in a span of over one month. Depending on the size of the district, his stay will vary from two to three days in each district. The yatra is perceived to be a testing time for bureaucrats because, unlike earlier occasions where Nitish’s itinerary was finalised in advance, this time the chief minister will make a surprise inspection of any project of any department of his choice. As such, the babus won’t get ample time to present things in order and in good shape.
“This kind of exercise is very rewarding for me as it gives me a deep insight into the problem the common man faces. Besides, it gives me an idea about how the government is working at the ground level,” argued Nitish. According to the plan chalked out so far, it will be Nitish who will take a call on the places he would like to visit, and the projects he would like to inspect. He might make a random visit to any village to get a first person account of the ongoing welfare and development schemes.
“This will help me get a direct feedback from the lowest strata of society,” said Nitish. Throughout the yatra, which is likely to conclude in January, the chief minister’s office, too, will be moving along with him so that there are no hassles in taking decisions on urgent matters.
Of yatra and yatri
First yatra: Nitish undertook Nyay yatra in 2005 after the then Governor Buta Singh recommended dissolution of the House
Other yatras: Vikas yatra, Pravas yatra, Vishwas yatra and Dhanyavad yatra
Purpose: Get a feedback about governance
Cause and effect: Bureaucracy remains on its toes
