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Bihar: Modi targets RJD-Congress, warns against attempt to steal ‘Jananayak’ tag
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled various youth-centric initiatives worth more than ₹62, 000 crore in Bihar
Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at the RJD-Congress combine for derailing the education system in Bihar and said that the NDA government under chief minister Nitish Kumar worked hard to bring it on track.
He was speaking after unveiling various youth-centric initiatives worth more than ₹62, 000 crore, including push to ITIs for youth skilling, education and entrepreneurship, through video conferencing from Delhi. Chief minister Nitish Kunar attended the function in Patna with his cabinet colleagues.
“Thousands of youth from Bihar have also joined this program. This generation may not realise how devastated the education system in Bihar was two and a half decades ago. Schools and colleges ran erratically and there was no recruitment, forcing parents to send their ward outside. This compulsion was the reason behind the start of large-scale migration from the state,” Modi said.
Modi said that fortunately in 2005, the people of Bihar entrusted Nitish Kumar with the responsibility of the government. “We are all witnesses to how the entire NDA team worked together to bring the derailed system back on track. One can imagine the effort required to restore a mutilated leg that develops germs. That is what they had reduced Bihar to,” he added.
Expressing happiness over the launch of a new Skill University, Modi said the Nitish Kumar government has named this university after Bharat Ratna Jananayak Karpoori Thakur, but the Bihar people need to be wary over attempts to “steal the Jananayak honour given by the people to the great socialist icon”.
“Karpoori Ji was given the title of ‘Jananayak’ due to his simple life and extraordinary work dedicated to the society, not by the social media trolls. Bihar people need to be wary as some people are trying to steal it,” he said, echoing the sentiments of the JD-U, which had earlier attacked the Congress for calling Rahul Gandhi ‘Jananayak’ during the Vote Adhikar Yatra in Bihar.
Modi said that before 2014, India was considered a struggling economy due to low growth and employment and kept in category of Fragile - 5, but today India is poised to become one of the top three economies and Bihar, the land of knowledge, is set to play a big role in nation building through a slew of initiatives for education and skill development.
“The education budget of the NDA government in Bihar has grown manifold compared to the RJD-Congress regime, with a chain of technical institutions and schools/colleges cross-crossing all the districts of the state. Big national institutions have come up in the last decade. IIT Patna is expanding, NIT has shifted to its own campus. The Centre has approved 19 Kendriya Vidyalayas to the state. There was not even a proper playground in Bihar earlier, but now the state is hosting national and international events,” he added.
Modi said that the Centre had started a new tradition of large-scale convocations for ITI students a few years ago and today, it got converted into an even bigger event at the request of Nitish Kumar. “With the launch of two more major education and skill development projects, the event symbolises the importance India places on skills, which will empower the youth for future,” he added.
He said that in the last two decades, the Bihar Government has connected over 50 lakh youth with employment in Bihar. “In the last few years alone, about 10 lakh permanent government jobs have been given to the youth of Bihar. The NDA government is committed to further enhance the potential of Bihar’s youth and create employment opportunities for them within the state,” he added.
Modi said the Bihar government has also been supporting students in pursuing higher education through the Student Credit Card and other financial incentives, viz. Interest free education loan, increase in scholarships.
“Today India is one of the world’s youngest countries, and Bihar is among the states with the highest youth population. Therefore, when the potential of Bihar’s youth increases, the strength of the country naturally increases as well. The youth needs to be skilled to align with the market needs and the PM Setu Scheme will provide the state-of-the-art infrastructure for it in the ITIs,” he added.
The PM also launched Bihar’s revamped Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana, providing monthly allowance of Rs. 1,000 to five lakh graduates for two years, inaugurated Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University to boost courses aligned to present and emerging industry needs and vocational education. He also laid the foundation stone for new academic and research facilities in four universities of Bihar, including Patna University.
“GST Bachat Utsav’ is also on in the festive season. Someone told me that the youth of Bihar are very happy with the reduction in GST on bikes and scooters. Many youths have planned to buy them this Dhanteras. I also heartily congratulate the youth of Bihar and the country for the reduction in GST on most of the things they need,” he added.
Highlighting the welfare schemes for youth and constitution of the Youth Commission, Nitish Kumar said that the 11 schemes launched by the PM would go a long way in lending strength to the youth and grooming them for future challenges.
“The previous government had done nothing. We started in earnest in 2005 and worked on all the aspects. We have been focussed on establishing rule of law and inclusive development. We have provided around 50 lakh jobs and employment opportunities in the last five years and plan to double it in the next five,” he added.
Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, union minister Lalan Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and JD-U working president Sanjay Jha, water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Many beneficiaries also narrated their stories before the PM.
