Patna: Former CM Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar on Friday formally took over as Bihar health minister even as opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav attacked the NDA government for “parivarvad” and induction of leaders without an electoral mandate.After taking charge of the health department office at Vikas Bhavan, Nishant said strengthening healthcare services and ensuring effective implementation of government schemes for common people would be his top priorities.
“Meeting public expectations and ensuring that government schemes adequately reach the common people will continue to be my primary focus,” Nishant said.Received by health department secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh, Nishant reviewed the functioning of the department and issued several directives aimed at improving healthcare delivery, transparency and accountability.Referring to the work done under Nitish’s leadership, Nishant said the progress made in the healthcare sector over the last two decades will be carried forward. “The work done over the last two decades, especially in health and other sectors, is still appreciated by the people. My effort will be to ensure that this process of development and public service continues uninterrupted,” he said.The minister directed officials to strengthen trauma centres, improve ambulance services in accident-prone areas, digitize patient records, improve drug supply chains and expand specialized healthcare services at district hospitals and community health centres. He also highlighted the need to ensure the presence of doctors in rural areas and improve coordination to address diseases caused by contaminated drinking water.Meanwhile, Tejashwi questioned the NDA’s stance on dynastic politics after Nishant Kumar and Deepak Prakash, son of former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, were inducted into the cabinet despite not being members of either House of the state legislature.“That person broke the alliance with the Grand Alliance in the Patna veterinary field over the Parivarvad issue. Now his own son is a government minister. This is a good thing, but now they have no right to criticize others over this issue,” Tejashwi said at a press conference in Patna.Tejashwi said he became a minister only after winning the elections, unlike Nishant and Deepak. “Why isn’t there a debate now about those who have become ministers without having obtained a public mandate?” asked.He also claimed that several ministers in Samrat Choudhary’s government had dynastic backgrounds and accused the NDA of hypocrisy on the ‘parivarvad’ issue.
