Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, currently on a tour of Japan, today urged the far-eastern economic super power to invest in the state and help in making it more vibrant and self-generating.
Addressing an investment promotion seminar at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo, Kumar underscored that Bihar and Japan shared an ethos which emanated from values of peace, harmony and a deep rooted affection for tradition and culture.
"With Buddhism providing an enduring spiritual glue, we make a perfect pair. I call upon you all to take this association to a higher level of cooperation and friendship", he was quoted as saying in an official release here.
"I would request leading Japanese corporations to consider establishing production facility in Bihar for domestic and foreign markets. The strategic support from Japanese organizations could propel Bihar towards a more transformative paradigm of knowledge and technology drive economy", Kumar said.
"I welcome you for an analogous investment to develop soft and hard infrastructure in Bihar with a major focus on technological collaborations, industrial partnerships, service delivery efficacy and academic research", he said.
"This will have the potential to reap equitable human development and capital returns. This unique partnership between Japan and Bihar could be one of its kind model of systemic socio-economic intervention", he added.
The Chief Minister also underscored that Bihar "has seen a significant turnaround in the last 12 years. During this period, Bihar's growth rate at constant price has been around 10 per cent, which is one of the highest among Indian states. This is a result of comprehensive home-grown reforms".
"These include changes in managing publlic finance, reforming government expenditures, public investments in building infrastructure and developing human resource. This development agenda and turnaround of Bihar has strong parallel with Meiji restoration in Japan", Kumar said.
The Chief Minister also highlighted that "Bihar is amongst the largest producers of horticulture crops in India and is a major producer of food grains" and said "I welcome investment and technological inputs from Japan to optimize the untapped human resource and agrarian strenghts of Bihar".
Kumar also said that the "Vishwa Shanti Stupa" (world peace pagoda) at Rajgir, built by 20th century monk Nichidatsu Fujii, was one of the most popular tourist sites in the state.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated an exhibition of the famed "Mithila painting" of Bihar at the Vivekanand Mithila Cultural Centre inside the embassy.
He also attended a meeting of Japan India Parliamentary Friendship League.
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