Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar ties a rakhi on a tree as deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi looks on at Eco Park in Patna and (below) health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey ties a rakhi on a patient at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur on Saturday. Pictures by Nagendra Kumar Singh and Amit Kumar

Patna/Bhagalpur, Aug. 13: Politicians in the state used the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan to send across special messages to citizens. While chief minister Nitish Kumar decided to promote the ongoing green campaign by tying rakhi to a peepal tree, health minister tied rakhis to patients and assured them of improved health facilities in the state.

Nitish visited the Eco Park the state capital today and requested people to plant more trees for a clean and green environment.

Addressing the people present in the park, Nitish said: “Trees are being cut on regular basis which is resulting in environmental imbalance. If we do not save the trees now, the day is not far when we too would be finished. I request all the people here to tie rakhi to trees. On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, we all should take a pledge to save the environment by planting at least one tree at our houses.”

He further said: “It will be a new beginning to save the earth and human beings. I congratulate the environment and forest department for organising such an event today. As you know Bihar is a backward state, we have been doing some commendable job. Planting trees and saving them is a serious campaign. It will add more colour to the development of the state. If Bihar will look beautiful, so will the country. We must make a promise to ourselves to save the trees on this occasion.” Talking about the schemes launched by the state government to promote environmental awareness, Nitish said: “Plantation of trees has been taken up on large scale by involving students. Under the MNREGA scheme, 5,000 trees will be planted at every panchayat. I have requested for tree plantation at non-government places too to bring uniformity in green cover. You may think that it’s a boring job but it’s nothing as such. You shall all inspire to plant trees.”

JDU MLA Poonam Devi and many other women tied rakhi to Nitish at the event.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi also tied rakhi to a peepal tree. He said: “In the next three years, the state environment and forest department will plant 21,000 plants across the city. Also, the plants will be covered with iron barbs so nobody can harm them.”

Health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey meanwhile, tied rakhis on the hands of patients at the casualty ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH) and assured them of better health facilities to the people of the state.

Choubey said the state government has always given the health sector top priority.

“Raksha Bandhan celebrates the loving bond between brothers and sisters but we have decided to reiterate the promise to provide better health care facilities to the people of the state on this occasion. I am symbolically tying the rakhis on the wrists of the patients. These rakhis are not simple threads, they would protect the people from diseases. We are guaranteeing maximum health facilities through these rakhis,” he said. The minister tied a rakhi on the wrist of Ashar Aktar (12), a native of Tatarpur locality in the city. Aktar who fell from roof of his house, was admitted to the hospital today only.

“Beta tum jaldi thik ho jaoge. Sab doctor uncles tumhara pura khayal rakhenge (Son you will get better soon. All doctors will take good care of you),” Choubey assured the boy.

Lying on the bed, Aktar smiled and thanked the health minister.

Choubey took the permission from the father of the boy to tie the rakhi. He also instructed Binod Kumar, the superintendent of JLNMCH, to take proper care of the boy.

Choubey also tied rakhis to half-a-dozen other patients at the casualty ward and spoke to the patients and their attendants.

“We are trying to improve the condition of hospitals in the state and we have already done a lot of works in this regard. We have been able to change the face of health facilities in rural areas,” he said.