Nitish Kumar launches two key schemes of 'seven resolves', dismisses Smart City initiative

Patna: Launching two key schemes out of the “seven resolves”, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday pooh poohed the Centre’s ‘Smart City’ initiative and said implementation of these would make citizens of the state “smarter”. [caption id=“attachment_3022902” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Nitish Kumar. PTI[/caption] Of his government’s ambitious “seven resolves” (Saat Nishchay), Kumar launched two schemes — ‘Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal’ (piped drinking water to every household) and ‘Shauchalay Nirman, Ghar Ka Sammaan’ (toilet to every household) in towns and villages of the state by the end of 2019. While launching the schemes, Kumar said, “With the seven resolves schemes getting translated into reality, the people of Bihar, be it of villages or towns, would certainly become smarter citizens.” Making light of the Centre’s ‘Smart City’ scheme, he said, “With people getting power and piped drinking water supply besides pucca road connectivity and drainage system, why would people come to towns … I don’t know when the smart city would be created.” “My government has given Rs 300 crore as grants for the construction of toilets in cities alone. How can a city become a ‘smart city’ by spending Rs 500 crore on it. I don’t know whether a smart city can be created with annual expenditure of Rs 100 crore,” the Chief Minister said. Kumar was accompanied by his cabinet colleagues Shravan Kumar, Maheshwar Hazari, Krishnandan Verma, Kapildeo Kamat, Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Development Commissioner Shishir Sinha and other senior officers during the launch of the two schemes. Stating that out of the seven resolves, the state government has already implemented its one resolve of providing 35 percent reservation for women in government jobs, Kumar said, adding that the implementation of these two schemes would fulfil people’s desire of getting better basic amenities. On the eve of Bihar poll, Kumar had announced his “seven resolves”. The same was adopted by the grand secular alliance government as policy of governance for next five years.