CM Nitish Kumar reviewed the ‘Aapka Shahar Aapki Baat’ programme under Urban Development and Housing Department at ‘Sankalp’, 1, Anney Marg today. The objective of the programme is to encourage active participation of citizens in keeping with the growing trend of urbanization in Bihar. Meanwhile, Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department, Shri Abhay Kumar Singh informed that as a national mourning has been declared in the country due to the demise of Christian priest Pope Francis, the programme will be launched on 25th April.
During the review, he also informed that in this programme, the officers of the district administration and bodies will interact with the citizens to understand their priorities and needs, and prioritize the development plans accordingly. This initiative will improve the physical condition of cities and strengthen the trust of citizens in governance. Under the visionary leadership of the Chief Minister, this campaign is an effective step towards building a strong and inclusive urban Bihar along with improving the quality of urban life.
Under the leadership of the Chief Minister, the state government is looking at urban development as an inclusive and participatory process. With the increasing pace of urbanization in Bihar, the aims to provide basic amenities to the citizens and accelerate development works through public participation. There were 123 municipal bodies in the state in 2006, which have now increased to 261 in 2025. According to the 2011 census, the urban population of the state is 1.57 crore, which is 15.23 per cent of the total population, which shows that urbanization is increasing rapidly and with it the demand for civic amenities.
The Chief Minister also informed that in the process of urbanization, many areas have been identified where citizens need essential facilities like housing, roads, drains, parks, street lights, water supply, toilets, and sewerage. Further, the Government has taken concrete steps to strengthen urban infrastructure wherein 25 schemes have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 1696.17 crore.
Under the ‘Aapka Shahar Aapki Baat’ programme, a total of 2491 programmes will be held in 1609 wards of 90 municipal bodies. A short film on the programme was also screened on the occasion. The Chief Minister went through the brochure ‘Aapka Sheher Aapki Baat’ and enquired about the collection of information through the mobile app.
After the review, the Chief Minister inspected the ‘Aapka Shahar Aapki Baat’ awareness chariot at 1, Anney Marg. On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Samrat Chaudhary, Water Resources Minister Mr. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Urban Development Minister Mr. Jivesh Kumar, Development Commissioner Mr. Pratyaya Amrit, and other senior officers were present. The District Magistrates of all the districts and representatives of the municipal bodies were also connected through video conferencing.