Munger: Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary went home for Diwali eve, and the lamp count was the message.
At Kalyanpur in Munger district, his own, 11,11,111 earthen lamps were lit along the bank of the Ganga on Saturday. Choudhary inaugurated the Deepotsav by lighting the first lamp at the premises of the Maa Badi Durga Maharani temple, then offered prayers to Goddess Lakshmi for the prosperity of the state.
He told the gathering that Diwali stands for the victory of truth over falsehood, and extended festive greetings.
The announcement that mattered came next. Choudhary said construction of an 83-km marine drive connecting Munger and Bhagalpur would begin within the next two months.
The reason he gave is the river itself. Erosion caused by the Ganga has been damaging farmland and crops in several areas, hurting farmers along the bank. A built-up embankment road is meant to serve both as a defence and as connectivity.
Choudhary also raised the long-running problem of the Farakka Barrage and silt accumulation in the Ganga, saying efforts were on to find a lasting solution. He said an agreement was reached with Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on November 2 to use silt dredged from the Ganga in Bihar for road construction projects.
He added that instructions had been issued to develop arrangements for channelising Ganga water to dams across the state.
On industry, the chief minister said the government was trying to establish units through the public-private partnership model so that young people could find work at home instead of migrating.
"I am a son of Munger," he said, adding that he was serving as chief minister with the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, and thanked the people of Munger district and Bhagalpur division for their support in the elections.