Patna, Oct. 25: Bihar Foundation’s Patna chapter will organise a “Changing Bihar — Forging Partnership for Development” conclave from February 17 to 19 in Patna next year.

The state government today gave in-principle consent for organising the event and also estimated an expenditure of Rs 2.81 crore for the event, at a cabinet meeting today.

“Non-resident Biharis from across India as well as the globe would be invited for the meet which aims to associate these people with the development process of the state,” cabinet co-ordination department principal secretary Ravi Kant told reporters in a post-cabinet joint press meet in which general administration department principal secretary Deepak Kumar was also present.

He said members of the intelligentsia, business bodies and civil society would also be invited to the conclave. Ravi Kant, however, said the meeting should not be construed as one to attract investments, rather it aimed a much larger canvas allowing the participants to suggest ways through which they would prefer to associate themselves with the development of the state.

The event assumes significance as in Bihar will celebrate 100 years of its formation next year.

Today’s cabinet meet also decided on the approval of the State Training Policy. The policy aims to chart out a comprehensive training programme for all categories of state government employees with an eye on their skill development, which in turn, would add to their efficiency levels.

“One of the focal points of the training policy is that all the new appointees, irrespective of their ranks, would have to undergo induction training before joining their work,” Deepak Kumar said.

Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development has been made the nodal agency for conducting training programmes and it would have the liberty of engaging trainers for conducting the programme.