Patna: The first thing that Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma did on Thursday after taking charge of the social welfare department was to pay obeisance to the chair before sitting on it.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar gave Krishna Nandan - who already holds the education and law portfolios - charge of social welfare after Kumari Manju Verma resigned on Wednesday once it emerged that her husband was in touch with Brajesh Thakur, prime accused in the rape of minor girls at a Muzaffarpur shelter home.

"The things that have happened have brought shame not only to Bihar but also to the country. Our main aim is to mend the system. Mistakes have happened here and slowly everything will be corrected. Those who have committed wrongs will be taken to task," Krishna Nandan said. "Many things in this department were continuing for several years and nobody was paying attention. Had the government not entrusted Tata Institute of Social Sciences to conduct a social audit, these things would have continued."

He asserted that such incidents are coming to light in other states too now because nobody was paying attention earlier. This, Krishna Nandan said, will lead to strengthening, improvement and monitoring of shelter homes.

"Our chief minister has already directed that short-stay homes and similar facilities will now be taken away from the NGOs and the state government will be responsible for their construction, operation and maintenance. It is a decision that is being welcomed across the country," Krishna Nandan said.

The minister convened a meeting with senior department officials and said he would try to find out the reasons for the negligence.

Krishna Nandan said he had expected the portfolio to be given to some other leader from the Kushwaha caste (to which he and Manju belong). The Kushwahas are the second-biggest block - after the Yadavs - among the Other Backward Classes in Bihar with around 8 per cent of the population.

"It is the political culture of Bihar that posts of ministers are allotted on the basis of caste," he said.