Bihar assembly budget session commences, Governor praises Nitish Kumar's governance

Patna: Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Friday asserted that "rule of law" and "sustained development" have been taking place in the state since November 24, 2005 — the date on which Nitish Kumar won his first floor test.

Khan's customary address to the joint session of the legislature, marking the beginning of the budget session, prominently referenced this date multiple times in his 30-minute speech.

"Ever since the formation of a new government on November 24, 2005, the state has been experiencing rule of law and sustained development. The state government has always emphasised development with justice and good governance, which implies growth of all classes in all spheres", the governor said in his opening remarks.

Khan spoke in the midst of slogan-shouting by legislators of the CPI(ML) Liberation, who had reached the Vidhan Sabha premises wearing handcuffs and chains, as a mark of protest against the shabby treatment meted out to Indian nationals sent back by the Donald Trump administration in the US.

The governor was seen flashing a vexed smile at the unruly members and chiding them with the remark "your protest has been registered. Now you please allow me to discharge my constitutional responsibilities".

Highlighting the extent to which things have looked up since "formation of the new government on November 24, 2005", the governor claimed that "the state was then being manned by just 42,481 police personnel. The number has now reached 1.10 lakh. Similarly, the number of police stations has risen from 841 to 1,380. The number of teachers has grown significantly, 3.22 lakh were recruited till 2022, another 2.17 lakh in two subsequent phases. The results of the third phase have been declared, which will pave the way for the appointment of another 66,800 candidates".

Kumar, the JD(U) president and the longest serving chief minister who will seek a fifth consecutive term in office in the Assembly polls due later this year, smiled at the repeated mention of the date.

Members of the RJD-Congress combine, blamed for the alleged "jungle raj" before Kumar's tenure, were seen whispering among themselves, wondering if they were being indirectly acknowledged given that Kumar has twice allied with them, albeit briefly.

However, the CPI(ML) Liberation, which is an alliance partner of the RJD-Congress, came out with a strongly worded statement later, describing the governor's address as a "bundle of lies" intended to cover up the failures of the JD(U)-BJP government in the state.

The governor also spoke of steps to improve agriculture through detailed five-year "road maps" and enhance healthcare with the establishment of new medical colleges.

He also made a mention of the government's commitment to maintaining "social and communal harmony", underscoring steps like "fencing of kabristans (Muslims' places of burial)" and construction of boundary walls for "Hindu temples registered 60 years ago or earlier with the state religious trust board".

The governor's address also spoke of "9.35 lakh government jobs already created" and promised "the total number will rise to 12 lakh, not just 10 lakh, before the assembly elections due later this year".

A promise of "10 lakh government jobs" has been the poll plank of Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly who served as the deputy CM on the two occasions when the RJD shared power with JD(U).

Women's empowerment, which Nitish Kumar counts on as one of his main achievements in the traditionally patriarchal state, was also mentioned prominently in the speech by the governor who mentioned "50 per cent reservations in civic bodies, announced in 2007", followed by "35 per cent quotas brought in 2013 in police recruitments and in all government departments since 2016".

The governor also said financial aid of Rs 2 lakh was being given to "94 lakh poor families, from all social segments — Dalits, backward classes, upper castes and minorities", which were identified in the ambitious caste survey conducted in 2023.

The governor's address concluded with a word of thanks to the Centre for the "generous help extended to Bihar" in the Union budget presented recently by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who came up with "announcements like setting up of a Makhana board, new airports, economic assistance for a canal in the flood-prone Kosi region and expansion of IIT, Patna".