(From left) CII state council chairman Satyajit Singh, French consul-general Jean Louis Rysto and CII Bihar head Archan Deb at the meet in Patna on Monday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Feb. 7: Good governance in the state has enhanced the possibility of a partnership between France and Bihar in sectors like education, agriculture, tourism and energy, said French consul-general Jean Louis Rysto today.

“The state has very good potential for growth in agriculture and tourism,” said Rysto, while addressing a meet organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the state capital.

However, the state authorities need to promote its tourist spots to attract foreigners, he added

“Many foreigners do not know about tourist spots like Gaya, Vaishali, Sasaram and Nalanda,” Rysto said.

He added spiritual destinations like Gaya and Bodhgaya should be publicised to attract tourists from all over the world. The state government should also build infrastructure at these places to accommodate tourists.

Rysto said out of the 12 states he had visited so far, Bihar has been the primary focus of France.

He also praised chief minister Nitish Kumar for getting a huge mandate in the Assembly elections last year.

“I salute the chief minister for winning the confidence of the people. He has been re-elected for good governance, that he has been able to deliver,” said Rysto.

Asked whether France would be willing to be a consultant for the Bihar government to suggest how to carry out the development, Rysto said this could be one of the agendas during his meeting with the chief minister.

CII Bihar state council chairman Satyajit Singh said: “CII has organised the programme to explore the possibilities of having a tie-up between France and Bihar, particularly in the fields of tourism and energy.”

At present, Buddhists from France come to visit Bihar. But plans were on to increase the exchange of tourists, Singh said.

Rysto, who has been on an official visit to the state for the past three days, would be meeting deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and chief secretary Anup Mukherjee on Tuesday.