Bihar assembly speaker completes his two-day study tour to Saint Petersburg assembly in Russia

PATNA: Bihar speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary completed his two-day parliamentary study tour to the legislative assembly of Saint Petersburg in Russia on September 17 (Tuesday), an official of Bihar assembly said here on Wednesday.
During his two-day stay in Saint Petersburg, which is Russia's second-largest city after Moscow, Choudhary learnt about legislative system of Saint Petersburg’s city assembly and had a courtesy meeting with its deputy chairman Sergey Solovyov.
Choudhary visited Saint Petersburg on his way to Kampala (Uganda) where he is scheduled to attend the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) from September 22 to 29. The CPC at Kampala will be one of the largest annual gatherings of the Commonwealth parliamentarians. The 64th CPC is being hosted by Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of Parliament of Uganda, an official of Bihar Assembly told TOI.
The consulate general of India in Saint Petersburg organized a meeting of Choudhary with the people of India origin, living in the Russian city, at the consulate’s meeting hall where a large number of Indian people and officials of consulate interacted with the Bihar speaker.
Addressing the meeting, Choudhary informed the gathering about the importance of 64th CPC and the aims of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). He said the CPA is an international community of around 180 parliaments and legislatures of commonwealth working together to maintain highest standard of democratic governance. “The reason behind visiting Saint Petersburg is to study its parliamentary and legislature system,” Choudhary told the people of Indian origin.
Bihar speaker further informed the Saint Petersburg residents about some important works done by the Government of India in the recent years for development of the country.
Choudhary also told the gathering about the works being done by Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar for overall progress of the Indian state. He informed people especially about those successful schemes of Bihar government which were, later, adopted by the Government of India and other states.
He said how the growth rate of Bihar is increasing year-by-year despite its limited resources. He also informed the people of India origin currently residing in Saint Petersburg, about the Bihar government’s popular schemes like ‘Har Ghar Bijli Lagataar’ (uninterrupted power to each household), tap water to each household, 35% reservation for women in the state government’s job and 50% reservation for women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs). “The 50% quota to women in the PRIs and ULBs has ensured large-scale political empowerment of women in Bihar under the rule of Nitish Kumar,” Choudhary informed people in Saint Petersburg.
Choudhary further urged the people attending his meeting to come to Bihar to observe its glorious past. He made a special appeal to the people of Bihar origin to visit the state to reconnect with their roots.