Tourists-Friendly State

by Brijesh Kumar Mishra

June 24, 2006

Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar said in the yuva sammelan "All participants, who have come from outside Bihar, I am making you the representatives of Bihar for your respective states. Your job is making a new image of Bihar".

If travelers come to Bihar, especially Patna, auto drivers, rickshaw-walas behave roughly. Travelers come to Patna or any other city of Bihar for any work or just for visit. First auto driver's behavior comes to fore. He behaves roughly. The travelers feel insecure and intimidated at this. He already has preconceived notions about Bihar and the civilians.

We all can make paradigm shift for Bihar. Government has a duty to assure travelers, specially coming from other states and foreign countries. Please try to create a safe environment so the outsiders feel secure in Bihar. This is possible if you take effective steps. I have some personal views on this matter.

1. Deploy police in civil dresses at railway stations; bus stands to stop such type of behavior by auto drivers and at the same time controlling cheating cases also.

2. The government can organize a "swagat hai" mission at these visitor interface points involving auto drivers, rickshaw-walas, porters, travel agents, and railway and road transport employees. We should go by the tenet "the first impression is the last impression."

3. The Mission should not only apply to auto drivers ET but also to all government departments, theater staff, hotel staff, zoo staff etc.

4. This mission should be organized all over Bihar simultaneously.

5. The government should make such an environment in which civilians feel "visitors are our guest, we should help them". This is possible by making pamphlets, banners. Advertising through newspapers, local cable TV and all government websites could help.

6. Auto drivers and rickshaw-walas should be provided with identity cards, registration numbers and a dress code so that travelers can file complaint against them at police stations post at their websites, ring some assisting phone numbers. This mission should run all over state simultaneously.

7. Initiate awareness program all over the state. Auto drivers should be made to learn amicable and benign countenance and behavior towards visitors. This would certainly produce a reciprocal effect by making the visitors behave cordially with the former. Even citizens should be asked to do the same.

8. Travelers or someone moving to the state may be alien to Bihar. This campaign should also be made a part of schools and colleges. Requests should be made to principals of colleges, schools to organize such a mission. Second half of Saturdays can be used for propagating these ideas inside the premises.

If this mission is organized all over the state, it will also help in controlling crime. As far as I know such a programme would be the first of its kind in India. I passionately believe that the image of Bihar can be changed if these are implemented zealously.

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