Chief minister Nitish Kumar addresses a gathering at Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour, during his Seva Yatra on Friday. Picture by Amit Kumar

Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday assured the people here that his government had started working on a comprehensive plan for the silk city to transform it into a regional hub of education, trade and commerce with modern facilities.

He said because of Thursday’s Bharat Bandh against petrol price hike, he could not visit Vikramshila Mahavihara, the ancient seat of learning located 48km from Bhagalpur district headquarters. However, Nitish assured he would visit the place soon.

The chief minister, who arrived here on May 30, as a part of his Seva Yatra, was addressing a gathering at the Bihar Agriculture University (BAU), Sabour. Lambasting the UPA government, Nitish alleged that Bihar has long been subjected to step-motherly treatment by the Centre, like in the case of the demand for a special status for the state or rehabilitation packages for 2008 Kosi flood victims.

“The people here have the capacity to bear the Center’s ignorance but when the central government hiked petrol price by more than Rs 7 directly, people here showed a unique way of protesting against it by making Thursday’s bandh a success,” Nitish said.

Nitish laid the foundation for 223 projects worth of Rs 106.54 crore here on Friday, while inaugurating 33 projects, which were completed at a cost of Rs 371.98 crore.

A modern tissue-culture lab, along with a media lab, having the capacity to function as a separate television channel to promote agriculture-related coverage, was also opened for the first time in this region.

In his address, Nitish appreciated the functioning of the agriculture university. “I had made up my mind to fight against the ill effects of climate change on agriculture produce. Scientists here are developing new varieties of seeds having the tenacity to face climatic change,” Nitish said. He added that soon the varsity would have new institutions like college of basic science and college of food science.

State health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, agriculture minister Narendra Singh, along with local BJP and JD(U) MPs and MLAs, were present on the occasion.