Being Bihari matter of pride for people of state now: Nitish

Patna, Oct 26 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday asserted that law and order has remarkably improved in the state after his government came to power in November 2005 and claimed that "being Bihari is a matter of pride now" for its residents.

In a lengthy post on X, the CM wrote, "People can't forget Bihar before 2005, when crime and corruption were at their peak in the state. When our government came to power in 2005, we prioritised the restoration of law and order above all else and established the rule of law. A policy of zero tolerance was adopted for crime and corruption. Now, there is no atmosphere of fear or terror in the state. Now, being Bihari is a matter of pride for the people of the state." Hitting out at the INDIA bloc, without taking names of the Opposition leaders, the CM said that before 2005 (when the RJD was in power), there was complete anarchy in the state.

"It had become difficult for people to step out of their homes after 6 pm. Our sisters and daughters were not safe. Kidnapping had taken the form of an industry. Vehicles were looted from showrooms. Due to the fear of criminals, no one wanted to buy a new vehicle," he wrote.

"Even those with money did not want to build new houses. Industries and businesses had shut down due to the terror of extortionists. Doctors and engineers were migrating out of the state," he claimed.

"The entire system had collapsed. There was no such thing as law and order in Bihar. Crime was directly protected by those in power. The people of the state were forced to live under the shadow of fear. Being a Bihari was considered an insult at that point in time," the CM wrote.

Earlier, police neither had vehicles nor weapons. Due to the lack of modern weapons, the morale of the police was very low, Kumar said.

"In 2005, the number of police stations in Bihar was only 817, which has now been increased to over 1,380," he added.

On November 24, 2005, when the new government came to power, the strength of the Bihar Police was quite low. At that time, only 42,481 police personnel were employed, Kumar said.

Since 2013, women have been given the benefit of 35 per cent reservation in the police force. To ensure the safety of women and to empower them, a large number of female constables have been recruited in the Bihar Police, he wrote.

Additionally, 'Tribal Women's Pride Battalion' was formed, he said, adding the participation of women in the Bihar Police is now the highest in the country.

The people of the state had decided in 2005 that they wanted Bihar to progress on the path of development, he said.

"The year 2005 was a turning point for Bihar. Today, Bihar is developing with justice. The youth are getting jobs and there are a large number of employment opportunities available for them. The new Bihar is a state of industries... the state is prospering. The people of Bihar will never return to that era of anarchy," he added.

Assembly elections will be held in Bihar in two phases on November 6 and 11, and results will be announced on November 14. PTI PKD ACD