Women to get 35 percent of government jobs, says Nitish

Thirty-five percent of all government jobs in Bihar will be for women if he formed a government again, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Friday, releasing a five-year "Vision Document".

He also pledged to launch student credit cards to provide loans of Rs.4 lakh for higher studies to all students who pass Class 12 -- at 3 percent subsidy by the government.

Ahead of the assembly polls, Nitish Kumar said he would be on a "mission mode" if he won the election.

"People of Bihar have faith and trust in me. I will change the face of Bihar with focus on youths and women, by implementing development schemes on a mission mode," he told the media.

"I am confident of making a quantum jump as far as development of Bihar is concerned in the next five years.

"We plan to provide free Wi-Fi in all colleges and universities in Bihar." Nitish Kumar said a venture capital of Rs.500 crore would be set up to help young entrepreneurs. "We also plan to provide self help allowance to unemployed youths."

He said the government would provide 35 percent reservation to women in all government jobs in Bihar.

"We are already providing 35 percent reservation for women in recruitment as police constables and sub-inspectors and 50 percent reservation as primary school teachers and in Panchayati Raj system."

The Janata Dal-United leader said that he would provide safe drinking water and electricity connection to each household besides building toilets in all houses in the next five years.

Nitish Kumar admitted that many things need to be done for Bihar's development despite whatever he had already achieved.

He said more than 66,000 km of roads were constructed and school dropout rate had fallen to 1.5 percent.