You helped build this school

“The people of Bihar are deeply touched with this contribution and will always remember it. We will ask our engineers to take a cue from the Express Block model. Your contribution is not about the volume of money spent but about the concern that you showed in the time of our crisis,” the chief minister said.

The two-storey,12-room Express Block at the Navkumar High School in Lagma,Sonbarsa,was constructed in just nine months,at a cost of Rs 87 lakh,raised through The Indian Express Citizens’ Relief Fund. Over 5,000 people attended the inauguration.

Kumar,who spoke for almost half an hour,said: “A newspaper is only supposed to report news. But here is a paper that collected money from its readers and employees to contribute to the cause of humanity. Recalling The Indian Express’s contribution during the JP movement,the chief minister said it is known that The Express has enough fire to make or break governments,but Bihar was happy that the paper had channeled its energies to create as well.

Kumar showered praise on project in-charge Swadesh Talwar for his commitment and passion.

The chief minister said that not too long ago,people used to shy away from Bihar. “But so many people have started coming to us now. In fact,we want the Centre to depute an IFS official in Patna to coordinate with neighbouring countries offering to work with Bihar.”

The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta said Bihar had come a long way from ‘oiling lathis’ to ‘filling ink in pens’.

“People used to say nothing could happen in this state. Even journalists laughed at Nitish Kumar’s slogan of ‘filling ink in pens’,but Bihar has changed,and how,” Gupta said.

“The state has moved from the politics of vendetta to optimism and using available opportunities to the hilt. Politics is now largely centred around the theme of development,” he added.

The Express Group,Gupta said,will always stand by people in need.

Bihar,Kumar said,had gone through change in its law and order,roads and work culture; it was now awaiting major change in agriculture and the industrial sector.

“A cooking oil major which already has 20 per cent of the market in Bihar may well expand into the food processing sector. The company had approached about working in the power sector,we suggested that they come into food processing in a big way as well,” he said.

The chief minister predicted that in the coming years Bihar would be known for progress in agriculture and industry. “We want that one item of food on every Indian’s plate should be from Bihar,” he said. “We do not want money from the Centre,we want tax rebates to attract major investors into Bihar. We should be able to set up some large industrial belts in the coming years.”

The chief minister later walked around the school building and appreciated its design and the quality of construction. He sat in the principal’s chamber for a while,but refused to sit in the principal’s chair. He sought information on several details,and agreed to the people’s request for a boundary wall for the school.

The programme,scheduled to last for an hour,continued for an hour and forty minutes.