CM's thanksgiving yatra from June 17

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar is pretty sure that his "Vikas Yatra", which he had launched in the second week of January, paid him rich political dividends in the Lok Sabha elections. To give his yatra a greater political colour, he will now embark on a "Dhanyavad Yatra".

The "Dhanyavad" or thanksgiving yatra will begin on June 17. Nitish is expected to cover all the district headquarters where he would address people and express his gratitude for their electoral support.

During this journey, he would tell people about the programmes of his government, exert pressure on the Centre for according a special category status to Bihar and re-seek public mandate for his government in the assembly elections due in October 2010.

Nitish said through his yatras, he successfully gauged the people's feelings and understood their problems and issues. This, he said, also helped him in formulating various schemes in the larger interest of the poor people. Also, the public contact programmes helped him streamline the machinery and make the administration more public-friendly, he said.

He began the public contact programmes through his Nyaya Yatra in 2005 before the assembly elections, which, he said, was meant to see people's problems from close quarters. In early 2009, he kicked off "Vikas Yatra" which, he claimed, was aimed at ensuring development in the state and intensifying work in various sectors for the benefit of the people.

The week-long "Dhanyavad Yatra" would conclude on June 25. On June 26, the month-long monsoon session of the state legislature will begin. It will continue till July 29.

Source : Times of India