Patna, March 27: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar has come up with an innovative approach to link its legislators with the development process of their respective areas.

It pertains to soliciting written advices about the development works, which legislators want to be taken up. The suggestions are sought in meetings in which legislators of different regions are invited and senior ministers are given the task of listening to the points raised by the legislators.

“The legislators have been divided into four groups on the basis of region and one group is called in one meeting where legislators submit their suggestions,” NDA Bihar convener Nand Kishore Yadav told The Telegraph today.

He added groups were formed as it was not possible to listen to the points raised by over 250 legislators, who belonged to the NDA camp.

He said three group meetings had taken place and the last one would take place on March 28 at the residence of deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. The state government has adopted a very methodical approach in dealing with the suggestions put forward by the legislators.

Based on the works suggested by NDA legislators, the chief minister secretariat finds out whether these could be covered by the ongoing schemes or not. “In case a work suggested by a given legislator does not fall under government scheme, the CM secretariat directs the ministry concerned to make plan for such works,” Yadav, who is also minister of road construction department, said.

The directive of the CM secretariat is just not a lip service as the secretariat keeps on following the steps being taken and the chief minister monitors the development on this front.

Denying that the NDA had started the practice to keep the legislators in good humour after abolition of local area development fund, Yadav said that the move was a step to ensure legislators’ participation in development works in a meaningful way.

“Legislators have the idea about the ground realities of their areas and their input is valuable for the government which stands for expediting the development works so that benefits could reach the people in shortest possible time,” he added.

The minister appears to be right, as most of the legislators who have taken part in the past three meetings appeared satisfied with the move. “This would allow the government to keep tab on the issues concerning people at the grassroots level. NDA legislators have been provided a good platform to share their priorities with the state government,” JD (U) MLC Satish Kumar said.