"BIHAR'S ADMINISTRATION IS COHESIVE, MY SUCCESSOR IS DYNAMIC AND EFFICIENT"

Amrit Lal Meena, Chief Secretary of Bihar, is on the verge of demitting office, but instead of dwelling on titles or power, he looks back on a journey of service, reforms, and change

- By RUHAIL AMIN

Bihar has undergone visible change in the last decade. As you prepare to demit office, how do you look back at this journey?

The growth you see today is not about me. It is the result of the visible leadership of our Hon'ble Chief Minister, the policies of the state government, and the consistent support of the central government. In 2015, the Saat Nishchay Programme was launched, ensuring electricity for every household, clean water, healthcare, jobs for women, and basic amenities across the state. Later, in 2020, Saat Nishchay 2.0 expanded this to farmers, youth, and infrastructure. These interventions have brought prosperity and visible change.

Which reforms do you believe really moved the needle -- administrative, fiscal, or regulatory?

It was all-encompassing. Administratively, we restructured governance, filled long-pending vacancies, and built capacity. Institutions like the Bihar Institute of Public Administration, Bihar Police Academy, and Bihar Forest Academy came up in this period. Recruitment strengthened our workforce, and reservations for women deepened inclusivity.

On the fiscal front, reforms in commercial tax, mining, transport, and registration expanded internal resource mobilisation, giving us the funds to invest in programmes. On the regulatory side, the Right to Public Service Act and the Right to Grievance Redressal Act were transformational. They made services time-bound and accessible, and ensured grievances were resolved. It created sensitivity in administration, which is critical for trust.

When you first took over as Chief Secretary, did you expect to see these outcomes?