Nitish takes Cabinet to village

Nondescript Barbighghi village in Begusarai is ready for its big day on Tuesday. The village that could barely see a panchayat meeting will host a Cabinet meeting of the Bihar Government....

Nondescript Barbighghi village in Begusarai is ready for its big day on Tuesday. The village that could barely see a panchayat meeting will host a Cabinet meeting of the Bihar Government.

This would be only the third time when the Bihar Cabinet meeting will be held outside the precincts of the Secretariat. It happened for the first time during the rule of first Chief Minister Sri Krishna Sinha and after that during the tenure of Kedar Pandey.

Outside Bihar,the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Uma Bharti had held a Cabinet meeting on the banks of Narmada in 2004.

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The Barbighghi Cabinet meet is part of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars attempt to recognise power of the common people and giving them voice. His ongoing Vikas Yatra has drawn a number of corruption complaints and the Chief Minister has succeeded in striking a chord with the masses like never before.

The 28 Cabinet ministers,excluding the Chief Minister,have been gearing up for the village meet. Something special might be announced at the meeting, said a senior Government official without revealing the agenda. Principal Secretary (Cabinet) Girish Shankar said 25 secretaries would accompany the ministers during Begusarai trip.

The meeting has evoked a mixed response. While the opposition RJD calls it a picnic at the expense of public money,JD(U) and BJP leaders call it an unprecedented step in governance.

Santosh Singh

Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More