Nitish Kumar confident to make Bihar corruption-free

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said he was confident to make the state corruption free as it was making the society 'hollow'.

After unfurling the Tricolour at the Gandhi Maidan here, Kumar said "Corruption is making the society hollow and it is extremely necessary to be brought under a check.... I have full confidence that we will be able to stamp out corruption (from the state)."

Kumar said a strong three-member Lokayukta has started functioning in the state and he had asked for bringing the Chief Minister, public representatives, the chief secretary and all government employees and all police official including the DGP within the purview of the Lokayukta.

He said: "Not only this, there will be no role of the government or chief minister in the selection process for Lokayukta. We have made the process completely transparent.

"We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy against crime like corruption and the process of confiscation of corrupt public servants has started under the Special Court Act."

Properties of five public servants have already been confiscated in Bihar, he said adding the process of opening schools in the confiscated bungalows has started.

He said the people have started getting caste, income, residential and other certificates on time. "We have also started giving certificate online. We have decided that people can get these documents from Bihar government offices in New Delhi and Mumbai," he said.

After winning the polls in 2005, he said, "We quickly succeeded to establish rule of law which has been a big challenge."