Vice President Shekhawat in Patna

Patna: April 21, 2007

Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, at the Thakur Prasad Memorial lecture in Patna on Sunday, said Bihar may not have much in terms of natural resources but one thing that was definitely going in its favor was its massive human resources that, if properly harnessed, could prove to be a huge boon for the development of the state."If we could maximize the human resources and knowledge power of Bihar, this state could very well leave other states behind," Shekhawat said.

The Vice President asked the state government to recommend more social schemes for the benefit of poor and downtrodden in the ultimate goal of offering a more decent and honorable life for everyone irrespective of their caste or religion. "Every human being deserves a respectable, honorable life and in the race for development and progress we must ensure some sections of the society are not left behind," the VP said suggesting of an egalitarian society."26 crore people of India still live below the poverty line (BPL) and they also have the fundamental right to live a decent life in the society," he said.

Shekhawat also talked about the achievements of Antyodaya scheme in Rajasthan after he became its Chief Minister in 1977. "Bihar should come up with schemes that are suitable for its own people by introducing programs at Panchayat level," he said.The VP also asked the Nitish government to exploit the state's abundant water resources by setting up hydroelectric power plants that would generate electricity even for the remotest village in Bihar.Earlier, Shekhawat arrived in Patna by a special aircraft where top leaders including the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and senior bureaucrats of Bihar welcomed him with garlands.

Shekhawat was brought to the residence of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad where Prasad's mother put 'tilak' on the VP's forehead. The intimate relationship between the VP and the family of late minister Thakur Prasad, the father of Ravi Shankar Prasad, goes far back to the Jan Sangh days.Later, the VP's motorcade arrived at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall amidst very tight security with thousands of by-standers waiting to see a glimpse of the leader.Besides Prasad and his mother Smt. Vimla Prasad, Rajya Sabha member Rajiv Shukla, Digvijay Singh and a host of other dignitaries were present at the occasion.