Bihar:‘Bihar model of growth, welfare can help nation overtake China, say nitish kumar
Addressing a public meeting following the inauguration of the building, besides 44 development projects worth Rs 544 crore and foundation laying ceremony for 81 projects, Kumar said, “All of us remember the 2008 Kosi tragedy. We had decided to work for rehabilitation of Kosi region. The building has been christened after Kosi, drawing on its ancient name Kaushiki.”
This building will not only house all types of government offices but also be the centre for carrying different studies. Now, there will be no need to go anywhere to conduct studies on various rivers and related aspects. All activities related to the study of rivers will be conducted from Birpur—the headquarters of Kosi project, he said.
Explaining that it was his earnest wish that people of the state, including this area, do not have to go out for higher studies, he said, “We have taken up the task to set up engineering colleges, medical colleges, ITIs, women polytechnics and a host of related institutes in every district and in remote areas.”
Praising the atmosphere of mutual coexistence and brotherhood in Supaul, he said that it has to be promoted and preserved at all cost for development.
“Some forces are bent upon sowing seeds of distrust and strife. But I am engaged in tackling social evils for ushering bigger change,” he said.
He said, “Prohibition is one such effort. It is a silent revolution that is transforming the lives of ordinary and poor citizens. Now we are moving towards the goal of an addiction free society. If these can be achieved here, why can’t it be successful in UP, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and West Bengal”, he asked.
Linking the problem of stunted growth in children—which was increasingly becoming evident in the state—with the practice of child marriage, he said it was time that people realised the ill effects of early marriage.
“Child marriage and dowry have to be dealt with as the latter has also percolated down to lower strata of society. We are going to launch a strong awareness campaign against the two evil practices, on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday,” he said.
He said that the government has accorded equal focus on development and welfare. “If we are able to encourage people to bring about a change in their outlook, behaviour and conduct, rapid growth in society will be visible as has been the case after initiatives for women empowerment”.
He said, the Bihar model if replicated in the country, would spur the nation to take rapid strides towards progress and it will be able to overtake China soon.
Bihar has set an ambitious target of harnessing 3435 MW through renewable energy by 2022. For a state, which generated nothing from renewable energy in 2011, it would be a significant jump.
As on date, the state generates 300 MW through renewable energy, of which 150 MW is through solar power, 100 MW through baggase and biomass and another 50 MW through small hydel power projects. It ias poised to generate an additional 100 MW of solar power this year.
The state’s target has been outlined in the policy for promotion of new and renewable energy sources from a plant , which was showcased at a conference on renewable energy “RE-Powering Bihar: Energising Access and Opportunities”, organised by the Centre for Environment and Energy Development here on Thursday.
Speaking at the conference, Bihar finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui said the government is committed to giving subsidy to investors and consumers investing in renewable energy under the state policy for promotion of new and renewable energy sources 2017, approved by the cabinet last month.
He also assured consumers and investors that the state was committed to giving a matching fund of 25%, like the Centre, for renewable energy projects. The consumer or developer will have to bear the remaining 50% cost of the project.
Allaying investor fears on implementation front, Siddiqui said the government would not just keep making policies, but would ensure its implementation.
Talking about the salient points of the policy, director, Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA), R Lakshmanan, said: “Wheeling charge, which is the carriage cost in transmitting power, including the transmission and distribution loss incurred in it, is exempted under the new policy. The state would also bear the transmission system evacuation cost (expenditure incurred on transmitting power from grid to the plant), up to a maximum distance of 10 kms. The policy also waives off the cross subsidy surcharge (the cost which a regulator imposes on generating and selling power to a third party through open access policy).”
Lakshmanan said these were in addition to the incentives available to investors under the industrial incentive policy. The policy allows 100% tax investment tax, waiver of stamp duty and land conversion fee, besides interest subvention in which the government reimbursed the interest on loan up to a maximum of Rs 10 crore.
CEED chief executive officer Ramapati Kumar said the new policy would transform the landscape of Bihar by bringing investment up to Rs 20,000 crore.
