In countless public meetings, we made development and good governance the focus of our campaign. We talked about specific programmes for specific sectors and specific areas. We also asked the people to judge us by our actions. We are doing all things possible to redeem that pledge, earnestly and sincerely. A solid foundation is being laid for the comprehensive development of Bihar. The new government inherited a Bihar in the grip of a vicious poor investment-poor infrastructure-poverty cycle.

There was a public resource crunch, in a deadly combination with the administration's lack of capacity to spend. Bihar's debt-GSDP ratio today stands at around 62%. With 42% of the population below the poverty line, 48% literacy, only 10.3% households electrified, low Human Development Index and contradictions like floods in north Bihar and drought in south Bihar, the state presents the biggest development challenge in India. The present government is not at all intimidated by this challenge.

Indeed, we have decided to convert it into an opportunity through hard work and political and administrative will. The government believes that once the wounded pride of Bihar is restored, the talented and hardworking people of Bihar will take the state on fast track in no time. We have to only remember that Bihar has the largest population of young people in India (58% of the population is below 25 years of age).

Once the weaker sections, the backward classes, dalits and women are truly empowered there would be no looking back. In a very short span of seven months, the state government has taken a series of measures in augmenting resources for development, improving law and order, introducing fiscal and administrative reforms, e-governance, promoting investment, strengthening the Panchayat Raj institutions, infrastructure development and bold initiatives in the road, power, health and education sectors. Agriculture and water resource management has received serious attention. Employment generation is the focus of all the development initiatives.
Illustrating a few steps and initiatives should suffice to indicate the road of development and good governance that Bihar is taking. The national Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) scheme has been extended to all the 38 districts and the cost of implementing it in 15 districts is being borne entirely by the state government.