Bihar government will not tolerate corruption: Nitish Kumar

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today asserted the government will not tolerate corruption at any level and hoped his fight against the menace will secure people's confidence.

"Those who continue to fight against the evil of corruption will secure people's confidence," he said at a workshop on 'e-governance leadership' for members of the two houses of the state legislature.

"We (the government) are not going to tolerate corruption at any stage ... I am firm in my resolve of zero-tolerance and we will relentlessly try to wipe out corruption," Nitish said, adding, "I don't care whether we are in power or thrown out while fighting corruption, a cancer of the society."

Kumar noted his government had enacted a legislation by which those found to be involved in corruption would not only be punished but properties accumulated through corrupt practices would also be confiscated.

"We will use law, science and technology and our good behaviour as tools to fight against corruption," he said.

Admitting that information technology was not being properly put to use in Bihar due to lack of infrastructure, Kumar said his government will sincerely endeavour to ensure gradual improvement in the field.

"We are using our resources for ensuring computerisation at a large scale in Bihar," the chief minister said, adding that work was in progress for setting up common service centres in 8,463 gram panchayats in the state.

The chief minister hailed the Centre's decision to introduce e-shakti to check corruption in implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.