PM hails Panchayati Raj system in Bihar

India cannot develop without developing its villages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he launched and inaugurated projects worth ₹13,500 crore in Madhubani district of Bihar, and addressed Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country.

- HTC and agencies

NEW DELHI:

Speaking at an event to mark National Panchayati Raj Day, Modi also lauded the work done by chief minister Nitish Kumar in the poll-bound state. He said a developed Bihar is essential for a developed India, and said efforts are being made to ensure the benefits of progress reach all corners of the state.

Modi said Mahatma Gandhi's idea that India cannot be developed without empowering its villages is the concept behind the Panchayati Raj system.

"Bihar is the land where Mahatma Gandhi expanded the mantra of Satyagraha," Modi said, highlighting Mahatma Gandhi's firm belief that "India's rapid development is only possible when its villages are strong". He said the projects launched on Thursday will boost development and generate employment opportunities in the state.

"Farmers are the backbone of the rural economy, the stronger this backbone, the stronger the villages, and consequently, the nation," Modi said.