Patna,(BiharTimes): Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday called for the opening of an office of World Bank in Bihar so that the projects being run with its help in the state get an impetus.

He told this to a high-level delegation of the World Bank, which called on him at his official residence and discussed in detail the overall development scenario in the state.

The chief minister said so as the visiting officials expressed their desire to set up some offices of the World Bank in Bihar to monitor the implementation of schemes being financed by it.

The team, which met the CM for an hour, was led by the World Bank’s managing director Mulyani Indrawati, its managing director (finance) and chief financial officer Bertrand Badre and its country director in India, Onno Ruhl. They also presented a progress report of the development schemes being sponsored by the international lender in the state.

Nitish apprised them of the state government’s decision to improve educational infrastructure in the state by setting up 1,000 high secondary schools each year to ensure at least one such institution in each gram panchayat, so that qualitative improvement could be brought about in social and human development index.

He said it was essential to provide education to all girls, which could help improve gender ratio and reduce child marriage and total fertility rate to curb the fast population growth in Bihar in the long run.
Nitish also informed the delegation about the work done in infrastructure and power sectors.

Appreciating the development works the team members expressed their willingness to expand World Bank’s activities in Bihar.