Patna, March 25: You can now become deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi’s friend, well, on Facebook.

Modi is using the virtual world to reach out to people. His Facebook wall is full of news items that talk of the steps being taken by the government for the development of the state. Modi has also uploaded his personal photographs and videos on the site.

“Social networking sites have huge potential as far as reaching out to people is concerned. Hence, I decided to join Facebook. Using it, I can reach out to Biharis in the state or settled outside,” Modi told The Telegraph.

The deputy chief minister, who is not conversant with all the uses of such social networking sites, has taken the help of his son, Akshay Amritanshu.

Akshay, a law student, keeps uploading new things on the Facebook address to meet the purpose for which his father has joined the site.

Modi said he wanted to use this medium to promote “Brand Bihar” through news items and publicise the developments taking place in the state.

“There are many who depend on the Internet to stay updated on current affairs. My presence on Facebook will help such people keep abreast about happenings in Bihar,” added Modi.

He, however, accepted that work pressure was preventing him from making the fullest use of the medium. Modi is not a regular on Facebook and doesn’t interact much with his friends and followers. One of the popular names in his friends list is BJP MLA Saryu Rai.

“I have been receiving around a dozen friend requests daily. But I have not responded to them because I do not have the time,” he said.

Modi added that he was looking for a tech-savvy person from the existing group of support staff who could handle the responsibility on his behalf.

“Once I have the technical support, I will start widening my contact base in the virtual world so that I can interact with people on different issues and exchange ideas,” Modi said.

The deputy CM is also excited about the launch of 3G services by mobile operators.

“This new facility will allow me to use Internet on my mobile. I will be able to dedicate some time to Facebook through my phone,” he said.

The deputy chief minister himself is quite tech-savvy. He is among a few politicians from state who use latest gadgets to carry out their day-to-day work.

Modi does not only carry a Blackberry to keep in touch with his family and followers but also keeps an iPad which he uses to surf the Internet and send emails.

Modi is not alone in his endeavour to extend his sphere of influence in the virtual world. Rural development minister Nitish Mishra, too, is available on Facebook.

“Since I joined the social networking site a year ago, I have increased my contacts. This helps me to get feedback from people on things related to Bihar. Some of my friends also upload Bihar-related articles published in international magazines and newspapers. This helps me keep updated about the changing perception about Bihar,” Mishra said.

He is also using the networking site for some noble causes. He has created a group for the alumni of his school in Patna.

This group recently gathered a handsome sum through contribution of group members using the networking site for two children of the school, who lost their parents in an accident.

Food and consumer supplies minister Shyam Rajak has gone a step ahead and has created a website — www.shyamrajak.com — for himself.

“Very soon I will make this website interactive so that people can comment on the work being done by me and share their ideas on different issues,” Rajak said.

Incidentally, chief minister Nitish Kumar, too, has made his presence felt in the virtual world. He started blogging on nitishspeaks.blogspot.com last year. The chief minister, however, has been an irregular blogger. He has not published anything on his blog since October last year.