World Bank Team Holds Meeting with Nitish
Patna: December 19, 2005
A World Bank team led by its India director Michael Carter visited Patna on Sunday where he held meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other senior state officials to discuss possibilities of making investment in various developmental projects in Bihar.
Pledging to extend financial assistance in setting up basic infrastructure in the state, Carter said Bihar was ripe for development but before jumping into other areas, state's educational standard and the bureaucratic structure needed a complete overhaul to provide better business environment and manpower in the region.
Carter said that the people will first have to change their mindset without which any development was impossible in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi who was also present during the meeting said that the World Bank has assured financial and technical assistance in the areas of road, water, irrigation, and power but most projects are likely to begin from July next year.
Earlier this year, the bank had submitted its report on Bihar describing the problems and ways to overcome them. Under its Bihar Rural Livelihood Project, the bank has prepared a Rs. 350 crore project out of which the state's share would be Rs. 35 crore; the rest to be financed by the World Bank.
"Our goal is to make the people living in rural areas self-sufficient by providing facilities in financing, irrigation, and marketing," Carter said.
The discussion also touched areas like flood control – an annual curse and how to turn it into a boon for the state. Improvement of road conditions between Muzaffarpur and Lucknow is also something the World Bank is interested in investing in, Modi said.
The World Bank team is expected to return to Bihar in January to give a final touch to various projects it has shown interest in.
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