Almost a month ago in October, the BJP government promised 19 lakh jobs and free Covid vaccine, among other things in its manifesto. The major promises of the BJP were as following:
- Free Covid vaccination for all in Bihar
- Making Bihar an IT hub to generate 10 lakh jobs
- One lakh jobs in the health sector
- Pucca houses for 30 lakh people
Now, the party has taken over all the ministries concerned with these promises to work on them and deliver. In the Seventh Nitish Kumar Ministry, BJP has got Finance, Information Technology, Urban Development, Health, Road and Industry among others. Although many of these ministries were already with BJP in the previous administration, Nitish Kumar wielded too much influence to allow any ministry to function independently.
One major change is in the Ministry of Industries, which was previously held by JD(U) leader Shyam Rajak- who left the party to join RJD- is now under Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi. Bihar is among the least industrialized states in India, holding lower per capita industrial units in the country while Tamil Nadu holds highest.
While Industrially backward states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh worked aggressively to attract industrial units as well as Information technology, Information Technology enabled services (ITes) companies in the last few years, Bihar remained laggard in every aspect.
Given the low industrial base of Bihar, it has an enormous capacity for industrial development and economic growth, all that the state needs is law and order, and active leadership. The Yogi administration has set an example on how to attract business units and low capacity states, and the Bihar government must follow the same.
The Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi needs to take some courageous decisions and path-breaking reforms- like suspension of labour laws- in order to indicate to India Inc. that a new regime is there in the state and the administration is open to business.
With the appointment of two deputy chief ministers– Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi- BJP has already made it evident where the power centre lies. BJP has also kept Agriculture, labour, mines, and environment department in order to ensure that it could make laws for the industrial development of the state without any hurdle from JD(U) ministers most of whom are breed in socialism.
Apart from two Deputy CMs, BJP has appointed five more ministers from its quota and kept important departments to ensure smooth inter-ministerial coordination which will be necessary to bring the state out of the clutches of socialism.
The state of Bihar, which used to be the richest part of the country for centuries, is today the poorest state with lowest per capita income, thanks to its socialist adventure that started in the 1970s. The people have voted for BJP to ‘Make Bihar Rich Again’ and the party is designing the plan to the same, the first step of which has already been taken with the capture of all departments related to the industrial and economic development of the state.