Patna: Jan Suraaj founder and Bankipur MLA Prashant Kishor has promised to reduce private school fees in his constituency by March 2027, saying the cost of education is a major concern for families in the Patna constituency.
Kishor made the announcement during a ward-wise public interaction in the Boring Canal Road and Mithapur areas on Wednesday, where he invited residents to raise issues relating to civic services, government departments and local administration.
He said around 70% of Bankipur residents send their children to private schools and that discussions were under way on how fees could be reduced.
Dialogue With Private Schools
Kishor said he would seek to establish a mechanism, through dialogue with private school owners, to bring down fees by March next year.
He argued that meaningful improvement in children’s lives would not be possible without reforming Bihar’s education system and said reducing the financial burden on parents was part of that effort.
The proposal comes alongside a series of commitments Kishor has made since winning the Bankipur election, including promises relating to employment and access to government welfare schemes.
Promise Of 10,000 Jobs
A day earlier, Kishor had announced plans to help 10,000 unemployed young people from Bankipur secure private-sector jobs over the next one to two years.
He has asked educated unemployed youths to submit their updated CVs and biodatas to his office, saying he would use his network to help arrange employment opportunities for them in different parts of the country.
The proposal has drawn criticism from BJP leaders, who questioned the move on the grounds that Kishor has also spoken about reducing migration from Bihar.
Kishor responded on Wednesday by challenging the BJP to state that Bankipur’s young people should not be given jobs outside the state.
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Kishor Promises Full 5kg Grain Entitlement
Kishor also promised to tackle what he described as the diversion of free foodgrain meant for poor households.
He claimed that beneficiaries currently receive about 4kg instead of the promised 5kg, alleging that around 30% of the grain is diverted.
He said that within three months, he would work to ensure that poor families receive their full entitlement of 5kg of free foodgrain.
The claims regarding diversion of grain are allegations made by Kishor and would require verification by the relevant authorities.
Ward-Wise Public Meetings
Since his election victory, Kishor has been conducting ward-wise public meetings across Bankipur to hear complaints from residents.
At Wednesday’s meetings, he said residents could approach his office if municipal officials, government engineers, police station in-charges or other authorities failed to perform their duties.
He also invited complaints relating to traffic problems and alleged demands for bribes by officials, promising to pursue the issues and seek solutions in line with residents’ demands.
The series of public meetings and Kishor’s latest commitments indicate an attempt to focus his early tenure on education costs, employment, welfare delivery and local civic problems in one of Patna’s most closely watched constituencies.
