Nitish asks India Inc to invest in Bihar; assures them safety

Assuring India Inc of full safety, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday invited corporate honchos to invest in the state as there can be no inclusive growth unless the state catches up with the rest of the nation.

"I can assure you that you will be safe there (in Bihar)...you will return safely from Bihar and would love to visit Bihar again and again," he said after receiving the Economic Times' Business Reformer of the Year Award from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Kumar said things are changing and that there are no worries about the law and order situation in the state. Without naming his predecessor Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, Kumar said, there was absence of governance in the state before he took over as Chief Minster in November 2005.

"Bihar has never been the case of bad governance. It was actually the case of absence of governance. Now governance is visible," he added.

According to the recent Central Statistical Organisation estimates, Bihar emerged as the fastest growing state in the country clocking a rate of over 11 per cent during 2008-09. link