DARBHANGA, Sept. 27 -- Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday addressed a public meeting of NDA workers at Raghopur South in Manigachhi block of Darbhanga district, asserting that the state has witnessed a complete transformation under his government since 2005. Speaking at the "Samvad", Kumar recalled the conditions before his government came to power. "In 2005, Bihar was in a terrible state. Lawlessness prevailed, people feared stepping out after dark, roads were broken, power supply was erratic, and there was little access to education or healthcare. Since then, we have ensured rule of law and worked relentlessly for development across all sections of society," he said. The Chief Minister underlined his government's inclusive approach, citing schemes for backward, extremely backward, Dalit, Mahadalit, minority and upper-caste communities. He highlighted initiatives such as granting recognition to madrasas, paying teachers at par with government teachers, fencing of graveyards since 2006 to prevent communal tensions, and fencing of old temples since 2016 to curb thefts and vandalism. Listing the district's major projects, Kumar said Darbhanga now has an engineering college, polytechnic, ITIs in all sub-divisions, besides a women's ITI, GNM and paramedical institutes, while Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) is being expanded to 2,500 beds. He reminded the gathering that land has already been made available for a new AIIMS in Shobhan, and work will begin soon. "Darbhanga is the only district after Patna to have an AIIMS," he added. He also pointed to the 2020 launch of civil aviation facility from Darbhanga airport and its ongoing expansion, modernization of Dilli Mor bus stand, beautification of temple at Kusheshwar Asthan, construction of bypasses and new bridges, and the building of 227 'panchayat sarkar bhawan' in the district. Touching upon statewide achievements, the chief minister said health services have seen a dramatic turnaround, with free medicines and treatment introduced in 2006. "Earlier, primary health centres barely received 39 patients a month. Today, over 11,600 patients visit them every month," he claimed. He also cited the growth of medical colleges from six in 2005 to 12 now, with plans to set them up in all districts. The chief minister reiterated his government's flagship 'Saat Nischay' programmes, free electricity up to 125 units for households, expansion of road networks to cut travel time to Patna, and extensive job creation. "Between 2005 and 2020, over 8 lakh youths got government jobs. Under 'Saat Nischay-2', we promised 10 lakh jobs and 10 lakh employment opportunities. So far, 49 lakh youths have been provided jobs or employment. Our target is one crore in the next five years," he said. The chief minister further recalled the caste-based survey of 2023, which identified 94 lakh poor families across all communities. "We had planned to provide financial aid of Rs.2 lakh per family over five years. Now we have decided to provide it in one go. A high-level committee has been set up to oversee this," he said. During the programme, the chief minister said Rs.10,000 each transferred into the bank accounts of nearly 75 lakh women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana on Friday. Prime Minister Modi joined the event virtually. Earlier in the day, the chief minister unveiled development projects worth Rs.3,463.2 crore at an event organised on the campus of Mithila Sanskrit Postgraduate Studies and Research Institute (MSPSRI) in Darbhanga. The CM inaugurated 36 schemes worth Rs.96.47 crore and laid the foundation stone for 61 others costing Rs.3,366.73 crore through remote unveiling of plaques. These include projects announced earlier during his Pragati Yatra....