Patna: Chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday appealed to people of Bihar, especially businessmen and industrialists doing business outside the state, to come back and invest.Speaking at a function organised by the Bihar Fire Services Department at Gandhi Maidan here, where he flagged off 80 state-of-the-art fire brigade vehicles and an AI-based integrated command centre, the CM said, “Bihar lagged behind other states for some political reasons. But now Bihar is rapidly advancing on the path of development, and that previous systemic shortcomings are being rectified. We are committed to steering the state onto the path of prosperity, which will only be realised when industries and businesses are established in the state. To those currently living outside the state, I urge you to return to Bihar, which is your motherland. If those living elsewhere return and set up industries and businesses here, Bihar will progress,” he said.Samrat also said it has been one month and three days since he became the CM. “Industrialists are coming to Bihar. Those who were outside Bihar are gradually returning. We will bring investments worth Rs5 lakh crore to the state, which is characterised by good governance. AI will be used to check duplicity and verify all estimates for govt works. Free hand has been given to police to deal with the criminals and crime,” the CM said.In an oblique reference to two encounters in Patna and Siwan, in which the criminals were shot at on Monday, the CM said no individual is permitted to take the law into one’s hands. “The police are performing their duties and will continue to do so,” he reiterated and said there would be absolutely no compromise regarding law and order in the state, and that if criminals open fire, they will have to face retaliatory action.The CM reiterated the govt’s zero tolerance policy against both corruption and crime.Meanwhile, Shoba Ohatker, director general-cum-commandant general, Home Guard & Bihar Fire Service, said the AI-based integrated command centre at the Lodipur headquarters, is probably the second such centre after Maharashtra. She said among the 80 new vehicles, 11 have hydraulic platforms up to 62 metres to douse fires in any high-rise building.
