Patna (Bihar) [India], December 25 (ANI): Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Wednesday attended the Good Governance Day programme at Raj Bhavan to mark the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He spoke about Bihar's position on the road to a "Viksit Bharat" (developed India).
"People attended in huge numbers and saw Bihar's position on the road to Viksit Bharat and how they can contribute to Bihar's progress," Arlekar said.
India's Sherpa to the G20, Amitabh Kant, also attended the Good Governance Day programme at Raj Bhavan and emphasised the importance of increasing Bihar's per capita income.
"After UP and Maharashtra, Bihar has the third-largest population in India. It's important to increase the per capita income here... If manufacturing, industry, and urbanisation increase, it will lead to an increase in per capita income in Bihar. These sectors must be improved, and Bihar's agricultural contribution must be reduced," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Vajpayee as a towering statesman whose leadership continues to inspire the nation, recalling the pivotal role the former Prime Minister played in India's transition to the 21st century.
In an article, PM Modi described Vajpayee as the "architect of India's transition into the 21st century who set the stage for the country's economic surge."
December 25 marks the 100th birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister of India.
Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and was elected as the nation's Prime Minister three times.
He served as Prime Minister from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996, and again from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004. He also served as India's External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Morarji Desai from 1977 to 1979. Vajpayee passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16, 2018. (ANI)
