Modi holds meeting with Nitish

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held over an hour long meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and both leaders are believed to have discussed a host of political and developmental issues.

Kumar, who arrived in the national capital to attend an event chaired by President Ram Nath Kovind to discuss ways to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, drove to Modi's residence after attending the meeting, sources said.

"Our party (JD-U) is happy with the meeting. We are sure that development issues involving Bihar will get more and more prominence in the coming days," JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi said at the meeting between his party's president and Modi.

Kumar had returned to the NDA fold in July last year after he severed his ties with the Lalu Prasad-led RJD and the Congress.

He had recently appeared to be critical of some BJP leaders for their alleged inflammatory statements amid a spate of communal incidents in his state and had stressed on the need to maintain harmony.

Earlier in the day, the Bihar chief minister had said that his government is working to make all buildings earthquake-resistant in the state as it is prone to natural disasters.

He made the statement while laying the foundation stone for the 'Bihar Sadan' in Dwarka here. It will become the state's third guest house in the national capital after 'Bihar Bhawan' and 'Bihar Niwas'.

Kumar said buildings based on modern techniques have been coming up in the state for the last few years and they are being "discussed" at the international level. In this context, he mentioned the Bihar museum, Samrat Ashok Convention Centre and a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

The construction of Bihar Sadan, which will be 10-storeyed and spread across two acres, is likely to be completed by Gandhi's birth anniversary next year.