Patna, Nov 24 : Bihar is poised to be one of the leading states in India, asserted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whose NDA government completed four years in power Tuesday.

"Our state is poised to be counted as one of the leading states in the country. The central government and other state governments have not only applauded some of the innovative schemes started by us, but have adopted them as well," Kumar said.

He was releasing a report card here on his government's performance during its four years in office.

In the report card, Kumar said Bihar which was known for its backwardness till recently, has been honoured and conferred with the first prize for e-governance. The e-governance award was given for innovative project Jaankari which was aimed at making the benefits of Right to Information Act easily accessible to the common man.

He said Patna was given the second place after Delhi for initiating commerce and business activities by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.

"We have completed four years of development with justice that impressed people outside also. Law and order situation has improved immeasurably. Fear and insecurity have been banished from the hearts of the people," Kumar said in his
60-page report card.

"It is Bihar that first reserved 50 percent seats for women in three-tier Panchayat Raj Institutions system, a decision later recommended by the central government to other states," he said.

He said his government's schemes for the extremely backward classes and the most deprived within the Scheduled Castes, termed as Maha Dalit, have also been appreciated.

The chief minister claimed: "Till recently, our state was dependent on central government projects. The state had neither a vision nor schemes of its own for development of Bihar. But now the situation has changed, we are implementing more than 30 schemes on the strength of our own resources."

He said his government has endeavoured to accelerate the pace of development in Bihar. "Because of the efforts of the government, the cooperation and the grit of the Bihari people, we have attained a stature today."(IANS)