Saran: On Thursday, Samrat Chaudhary inaugurated ‘Ramghat’ in the Manjhi block of Saran district. During the event, he unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to extend and develop the ghat up to the bridges located on both sides of Ramghat. Prior to this, he paid tribute to the late freedom fighter Dalan Singh by garlanding his statue at the Dalan Singh High School-cum-Inter College. He also inspected the modern laboratories developed under the ‘Seva Sankalp-sah-Kayakalp’ (Commitment to Service and Transformation) campaign.
At the Dalan Singh High School-cum-Inter College, the Chief Minister inspected the newly constructed Space Science and Innovation Lab, ISM Lab, ICT Lab, Biology Lab, Chemistry Lab, and the library. He inquired with the officials about the facilities provided. Expressing their gratitude, the students noted that these modern laboratories would significantly assist them in understanding their subjects and gaining practical knowledge. The Chief Minister encouraged the students to study diligently. He further directed officials to install computers in the school library to provide students with the benefits of a digital library.
Following this, the Chief Minister inspected the ‘Atal Vatika’, ‘Yagyashala’, and ‘Maa Saryu Cafe’ (Didi Ki Rasoi) located at Ramghat. He inaugurated the ‘River Front Development Project – Ramghat’ and the ‘Atal Dwar’—implemented by the Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited at a cost exceeding Rs 8.20 crore—by unveiling the foundation stone plaque. He also inaugurated ‘Atal Vatika’ and unveiled the statue of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It was announced that an ‘Atal Utsav’ (Atal Festival) will be celebrated annually.
Addressing a public gathering near Ramghat, the Chief Minister remarked that visiting Ramghat is a matter of pride for him. He noted that this is a sacred site, historically and religiously associated with the arrival of Lord Ram and his ritual bath in the Saryu River. The inauguration of Ramghat ahead of the Chhath festival will prove highly convenient for devotees. He noted that the people of Bihar pay homage to the setting sun—a unique aspect of our culture and tradition—whereas, in most other parts of the world, it is the rising sun that is worshipped.
The Chief Minister stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued to progress under the inspiring leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vajpayee united 32 political parties to form the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and served as the country’s Prime Minister three times. He expressed that it was a matter of great pride for him to have the opportunity to unveil Vajpayee’s statue today.
At the request of the then-Chief Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had sanctioned a special package for Bihar’s development, providing Rs 4,000 crore annually for four years. From 2005, under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, development initiatives in Bihar gained fresh momentum, with these funds being utilized to build infrastructure, including roads and power systems.
The Chief Minister announced that an official state-level event would be organized at Ramghat on the occasion of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary.
The Chief Minister remarked that Bihar is undergoing a transformation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working steadfastly toward the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) by 2047. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has undertaken significant work toward building a prosperous Bihar. Our goal is to ensure that children in Bihar do not have to travel to other states to access quality education; to this end, 700 model schools have been established across the state. Furthermore, approximately 3.50 lakh students are receiving online education through the ‘Vidyarthi Sathi’ app. Data on student engagement reveals that even as late as 1:00 AM, between 1.40 lakh and 1.80 lakh students are actively engaged in online learning.
He added that under the ‘Seva Sankalp-sah-Kayakalp’ (Commitment to Service and Transformation) campaign, schools, Anganwadi centers, and health centers are being strengthened, with new construction projects being undertaken wherever necessary. The Chief Minister stated that instructions have been issued to launch projects worth ₹22,000 crore in Bihar before March 31. This will provide fresh momentum to the state’s development and transform its landscape. A ‘Panchayat Development Day’ is organized on the last Sunday of every month. Our goal is to provide ration cards to one crore eligible individuals in the state. So far, 2.4 million (24 lakh) people have been issued ration cards, and 1,400 new dealers have been appointed. Efforts are underway to provide ration cards to the remaining 7.8 million (78 lakh) eligible individuals.
The Chief Minister urged public representatives to join this campaign and assist in ensuring that the benefits of the scheme reach all eligible people. He recalled that in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to bring electricity to every village; at that time, the then-Chief Minister, Shri Nitish Kumar, set a target to provide electricity to every household. Today, Bihar receives 22 to 23 hours of electricity supply. There are approximately 19.2 million (1.92 crore) domestic electricity consumers in the state. The government is providing 125 units of free electricity to each domestic consumer. The Chief Minister appealed to those who are affluent and prosperous to voluntarily forgo this benefit of 125 units of free electricity, in the interest of the state.
