21/07/2014

 

Bihar getting out of BIMARU image: CM


Patna,(BiharTimes): Chief Minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi on Saturday exhorted researchers to come up with a solution for bringing back the glories of a decentralized economy.

Inaugurating the 4th annual Bihar Growth Conference organized by International Growth Centre (IGC) he emphasized that though Bihar has been witnessing double digits growth in the last few years, the focus of the government remains on sustaining and enhancing that growth.

Manjhi said, Bihar is getting out of its BIMARU image. However, he also urged the research community to come up with a formula so that Bihar’s growth could accelerate and, hence, the state become a fully developed within just five years, not 25 years.

He conceded that despite growth inequalities in the society had increased and rural people are being denied beneifts of growth.

Speaking on the occasion state’s Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, emphasized that it was the responsibility of the government to provide a better standard of living to everyone. He mentioned that poverty reduction remained very high on the government’s agenda.

Minister for Water Resources, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, urged the researchers to actively work on issues related to Bihar’s development. He praised the research done by the IGC on issues related to flood management in Bihar.

Secretary, Department of Energy, Pratyaya Amrit chaired the session on Energy.

During the session, Nicholas Ryan from Harvard University presented ongoing research work around electricity distribution reforms in Bihar, and David Szakonyi from Columbia University (New York) presented his work on solar energy.

Amrit concluded the session by emphasizing the need for a greater push towards energy generation and access in the state.

In a special lecture titled ‘Politician Identity and Religious Violence’, Lakshmi Iyer from Harvard University presented her research around understanding

whether Muslim political participation lowers the incidence of Hindu-Muslim religious violence.

The Chair for the session was Gulrez Hoda.

Day 1 also had sessions around Solid Waste Management and Public Finance. On Day 2 of the conference, several senior bureaucrats from the Government of Bihar will talk about their innovations in government.

Earlier during the day, Shaibal Gupta (Country Co-Director, IGC) delivered the welcome remarks and mentioned that IGC Bihar is a unique programme because it is the only such centre across the world that provides on-demand research advice. Such a centre was set up in Bihar due to its dramatic growth story. On

the occasion, Professor Anjan Mukherji, Country Director, IGC said the centre’s financial commitment towards research on Bihar remains unhindered.

The function that has been jointly organized by the IGC and ADRI for the fourth time in a row.


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