Patna, Jan 19 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday began his ‘Vikas Yatra’ (Development March), aimed at getting first-hand information about development works initiated by the state government in rural areas and to hear people’s grievances personally. Kumar will also camp overnight in villages across the state to provide an opportunity to villagers to tell him their grievances and monitor implementation of different schemes.

The chief minister launched his march from Bagaha in West Champaran district, a significant venue as it was the same district where Mahatma Gandhi had launched his first civil disobedience movement in India against British rule.

Kumar will camp in villages, every 25 to 30 km and spend hours to meet villagers before reviewing development schemes with officials.

“I will spend nights in villages to get the real picture of development and will know the problems of people,” Kumar said here, before leaving for Champaran.

Sources in the chief minister’s office told IANS that the first phase of the Yatra will continue till February and will resume after general elections are over.

A team of officials will accompany Kumar to assist in passing instructions and report on implementation of development projects.

However, the timing of Kumar’s development march has attracted criticism from the opposition. The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress described the venture as a ‘nautanki’ (drama), and criticized Kumar for spending millions of rupees on it.

However, Kumar has denied that the Vikas Yatra has anything to do with the coming elections, and said it was directly related to governance.

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