Patna, 17 October: (ABN) Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary today met the group “Nice Conversation” at Lok Sewak Awas, which had started its bicycle journey from Jankpur Dham in Nepal and passed through various Indian states to reach Dehradun in Uttarakhand, with the theme “Nature is the Supreme God.” He welcomed the group. Led by environmental expert Padmini Bhushan Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi, the team praised the work done in the state’s environmental sector by the Bihar government and Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, saying that Bihar’s environmental department is working in a unique manner that will prove very beneficial for future generations of the state.

During the meeting, in his speech, the Chief Minister said, “I welcome Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi, Pankaj Malviya, and all members of the team.” He added, “I wish you all the best for the journey you are undertaking to spread the message of water conservation, environmental promotion, river restoration, and environmental awareness from house to house.” He said that after the division of Bihar and Jharkhand, the green area in Bihar had reduced to only 6 %. Under the leadership of former Chief Minister Mr. Nitesh Kumar Ji and the respected Anjanani Shishil Kumar Modi Ji, Bihar has accelerated water conservation and afforestation work over the past 20 years. I am pleased to inform you that the green area in Bihar has now increased to 15 %. Previously, Bihar had 2.1 million hectares of irrigable land, which has now increased to 4.4 million hectares.

The Chief Minister said that this year rainfall was 32 % below normal, but the water coming from Nepal caused flooding in Bihar. We are working on a permanent plan to manage the water of the Gunda, Kosi, and Ganga rivers. An agreement has been reached between Bihar and Jharkhand regarding the distribution of the Son River water. We will construct an Andra Puri barrage and connect the Son River water to the Phalguni River.

The Chief Minister said that Bihar’s rural roads are quite good. Electricity has been supplied to all homes, and people are receiving uninterrupted power 24 hours a day.

Development work is being carried out rapidly in Bihar, but the pace of progress is being balanced with environmental harmony. He said that rural women in Bihar are rapidly moving towards self-reliance. 81 million women are engaged in self-employment. 5 million women have been trained as “Likh Pati Didi,” while 6 million women are being trained as “Pashu Sakhhi.” Our goal is to make all women in Bihar skilled by 2030. Improving village economies will also improve the state’s economy.

The Chief Minister said that eco-tourism is progressing rapidly in Bihar. A plan has been prepared to promote green energy in the state and is being implemented effectively. A strategy has also been developed for better management of water resources in Bihar so that the state’s water can be used to its maximum benefit. He said that Bihar’s history has been glorious. We are working in all sectors to bring Bihar back to that high level. The people here are aware of activities related to afforestation, green energy, and other environmental matters. We are already working on the suggestions you have made in the Bihar Development Dialogue series. We welcome any advice you may have on Bihar’s development, including the environment. Your presence in Bihar is a matter of joy for us. We once again welcome you and wish you success and safety on your journey.