Patna, Nov 24 (IANS) Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government Monday completed three years in office, said the positive and innovative steps initiated his regime initiated had made Bihar a model state and its negative image has been replaced.”Today, the situation is that our administrative reforms and innovative interventions are being discussed at the national level. Many states are following our innovative interventions,” Nitish Kumar said, releasing a report card here on his government’s three years in office.

“We took the lead in reserving 50 percent seats for women in three-tier Panchayat Raj Institutions system and this is being followed by many states now. People across the country are talking about the innovative project ‘Jaankari’, wherein we have used interactive telephone service for taking forward the Right to Information Act,” Kumar said.

He said his government’s schemes for the extremely backward classes and the most deprived within the Scheduled Castes, termed as Mahadalit, have been appreciated.

The chief minister claimed, “We have established the rule of law in a very short period in the state. Once known for caste based violence, social unrest and law and order problems, today we are among the best examples of communal harmony and social solidarity.”

“There is peace and tranquility even in remote villages. Extortions, kidnappings and demands for ransoms have almost disappeared,” Nitish Kumar said.

He also claimed that the number of Bihari people migrating outside the state for labour has “come down significantly due to the changing scenario of the state”.

The report card highlighted numerous schemes started for the development and welfare of minorities, Dalits, backward castes and women.

Nitish Kumar announced some new welfare schemes, including Rs.10,000 grant to each student belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Extreme Backward Castes who secure first division in the board examination. He had announced this scheme for students of the minority community last year.

He also announced Rs.2,500 grant each to about 12,000 Muslim girl students who were getting vocational training, to buy equipment kits to start their own business. A few months ago the government had launched ‘Hunar’ (skill), an innovative scheme for providing vocational training to Muslim girls in Bihar.