I will take 'good governance' work further: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Assuming the reins of the state again, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said he would take forward the work of " good governance", whose roadmap he had prepared and repair "damage" done to it in the past few months.

"My priority will be the same to carry forward the task of 'sushan' (good governance) whose roadmap I had prepared. I will work overtime to undo the damage done to 'sushan' in past few months," Kumar claimed.

He was speaking to reporters here after being sworn-in for the fourth time as the chief minister of Bihar, following a gap of nine months.

"Sushan ke kaam me charan hua hai uski bharpai karni hogi, duguni mehnat kar ke (good governance work was affected which needs to be compensated by working overtime)," he said in an apparent dig at the state of affairs during hie predecessor Jitan Ram Manjhi's rule.

Kumar said he would review the decisions taken by Manjhi government which went "tangent" to roadmap devised by him and take a "proper decision" after seeing whether proper procedure was followed or not.

Notwithstanding lowering of his relationship with Manjhi, whom he had hand-picked to succeed him, Kumar said "I will not be guided by any bias or preconceived notion and take administrative decisions objectively."

He, however, indicated there was no scope for Manjhi and others who sided with him in rebelling against him, returning to the party.

"He was given ample opportunity by the party and even JD(U) President Sharad Yadav and there is no point discussing on these issues," Kumar flanked by state JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh said.

Kumar shook hands with Manjhi after taking oath at the Raj Bhavan here, where he was administered the oath by Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.

With Kumar, 22 other ministers who were part of Manjhi government were administered oath as ministers in Nitish cabinet.

Kumar even retained their past portfolio and hierarchy of these ministers.

On chance of RJD and Congress joining his government, Kumar said he wanted them to be part of the ministry. "But, they did not take a decision but I will wait for their decision."

He said he would prove his majority on the floor of the House on the first day of Budget Session that the new cabinet would decide soon.