Deputy chief minister Tejaswi on Sunday said the state government would soon form a commission to promote the youth.

"Shiv Chandra Ram (art, culture and youth affairs minister) has been given the responsibility to set up the commission. He is very talented and will soon come up with the details. I hope he lives up to our expectations," he said.

Tejaswi was speaking at a function to welcome the newly-appointed RJD youth wing national president Shailesh Kumar, better known as Bulo Mandal, at the party office.

The youth (in the age group of 15-24 years) comprise approximately 16.8 per cent of Bihar's population.

The 26-year-old Tejaswi has been batting to promote youth and supported his stand by pointing out how the RJD distributed a major chunk of tickets among the youth during the Assembly elections.

"Of 101 seats, 45 tickets were given to men below 43 years of age and 10 tickets were given to women," he said. "All these candidates won the elections. The participation of the youth in decision- and policy-making is a must. The number of young people in our state is very high and we must give them an opportunity to showcase their talent."

Tejaswi stressed that during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had got massive support from the youth and so the RJD must also focus on the youth to expand the organisation in other states with an eye on the next Lok Sabha elections.

"We do not have much time before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls knock on our doors," he said. "We have to focus on strengthening the party in other states and the youth wing must play an important role in it. Young people played a pivotal role in the making of Narendra Modi, so we must highlight to them how the NDA government has failed."

He also used the occasion to attack the Centre and claimed that between 2015 and 2016, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) could only construct 60km in Bihar, whereas the road construction department had laid 1,500km in the same period.

Mandal demanded that a youth commission be set up at the national-level and assured party members that he would try his best to strengthen the RJD youth wing.

He also announced the name of the new state president of RJD youth wing - Mohammad Kari Shoaib - who replaced Shiv Chandra.

RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbey and RJD national spokesperson Manoj Jha also attended the meet.