I was not amazed to see Nandu's name as a crorepati nominee from Bihar for Rajya Sabha. How can an IAS who moved up to a secretary level in the government of India, be not even a crorepati? Moreover, he belongs to a reputed family of Bihar too.

However, wealth wise Nandu appears to be pigmy when compared to the other nominee of Ram Vilas Paswan who is just matric, but owns dozen and more flats in Mumbai and similar number of plots spreading from Mumbai to East Champaran. Perhaps it is this type of persons from Bihar that makes Raj Thackrey go against even the ordinary vendors of Bihar on the street, as he is afraid that very soon he will own the properties of Mumbai.

Nandu till now was chairman of Bihar Planning Board and key coordinator of the prestigious Nalanda International University. I was also under an impression that he is doing a fine job and quite close to Nitish. Nandu could have contributed immensely in development of Bihar. He could have taken up the task of Nalanda University as missionary and could have made it a globally reputed institute of excellence. He had sky as limit to achieve there. With his acquaintances all around the world, Nandu could have build Nalanda University as a great gift for posterity. However, he preferred a cozy chair of Rajya Shabha, the club of retired elites of India. And I am sure he must have worked hard and shrewdly to get this nomination that may not be even liked by a self-respecting intellectual.

Was my expectation from Nandu as bureaucrat administrator wrong? Was he not happy with his work assignment and expected much more? Was he scared to work in the political atmosphere of Bihar?   Or is it because Nadu couldn't give the expected performance? According to a recent report, Nandu could get some big industrialists of India visit Patna, but none were ready to invest in Bihar. Was he not given the autonomy to work effectively or was it not possible because of the political interferences in work in Bihar, as it usually happens in the northern states? Had Nitish found another person who will serve his interest better politically? As per another report in media, Nanduji is also branded as Mukesh Ambani's man as a distinguished fellow at Observer Research Foundation, the Reliance-backed think tank. And thus perhaps he is equally near to Nitish as well as Mukesh and serves interests of both.  

I feel Nandu's shifting to New Delhi may be a gain for him but a loss for the state. Nanduji would have continued in his present job and Nitish would have used him to his best. And if he has not been able to perform, it only means that he can't perform by winning over the politicians for the benefits of the people of the state.

It pains to see that Nitish is failing to improve the image of Patna and Bihar with almost half of its term gone what Chandrababu Naidu did for Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh. 

However, I can't but pity Nandu who fails Bihar to build its lost image and an opportunity to have his name recoded in the new history as one of the builders of Bihar. I wish him prosperity and peace.