Love, peace and goodwill essential for progress: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today asserted that "love, peace and goodwill" were essential for ensuring welfare of all, and cautioned against attempts to cause social strife.

Kumar's statement from Rohtas district came following communal flare up in various districts of the state such as Bhagalpur, Aurangabad, Nawada, Nalanda, Sheikhpura and Samastipur last month.

"It is only love, peace and goodwill that can bring about the welfare of all, not violence. There are many people who indulge in nonsense and keep making attempts to cause social strife. But peace and goodwill must be preserved to scale the heights of progress", Kumar was quoted as saying in an official release.

The Chief Minister has been making appeals for peace, while opposition parties have been blaming his ally, the BJP, for the communal tensions.

Kumar attended a meeting at a village in Rohtas district, where he took stock of various development schemes.

The Chief Minister also inspected a school, where children were being provided mid-day meals prepared on solar cookers, and said "It was a sight that was unprecedented for me and I shall always remember".

Lauding the roles played by self-help groups, he said "Bihar has eight lakh self-help groups now and our aim is to raise the number to 10 lakhs. Each group employs 11 to 15 women and if we succeed in attaining the target, we will be able to cover around 1.5 crore families".

Underscoring the tourism potential of Rohtas, Kumar said a decision has been taken to begin rope-way connectivity to spots like Rohtas Garh Fort and Mundeshwari temple.