Patna:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to formally announce a new "seva yatra" later today.
The tour of his state will begin in November. He will spend three days in each district, though not in one stretch. He will attend the winter session of the Bihar Assembly. His journey will end in March.
Sources say Mr Kumar, often praised for the development he has fostered in his state, wants to collect feedback on the Right to Public Service Act, introduced in Bihar on August 15 last year, to combat red tape and corruption. The Act guarantees that government departments will respond quickly to applications filed by the public. Around 50 services under 20 categories are covered by the Act. A certificate of caste, for example, can be obtained in a fortnight using this Act.
In the last six years, Mr Kumar has conducted five yatras, four of them after taking over as Chief Minister. In January 2009, his "vikas yatra" or "march for development" saw him spending the night in different villages to collect feedback on public projects. The tour was believed to have contributed to the success of the NDA alliance, of which he is a member, in Bihar in the 2009 general elections. After the results were declared, he undertook a "dhanyavaad yatra" to thank people for voting for the NDA.