Sheikhpura: In a bid to place Sheikhpura’s historic Girihinda Hill firmly on Bihar’s tourism map, the district administration has taken a distinctive and forward-looking step by holding its weekly administrative meeting atop the hill. District Magistrate Shekhar Anand chaired the meeting on Monday, signalling a renewed focus on tourism-led development, employment generation and good governance.
The meeting reviewed ongoing development schemes while also deliberating on concrete strategies related to tourism promotion, industrial growth, job creation and administrative reforms. Officials from various departments participated in the discussion.
Addressing the meeting, the District Magistrate said Girihinda Hill is not only a site of natural beauty but also holds significant historical and cultural value. He stated that the administration, with government support, would work towards developing Girihinda Hill along with other religious, historical and cultural sites in the district to give Sheikhpura a distinct identity as an emerging tourism destination.
He directed officials to identify tourism potential across the district and prepare a structured action plan that could also create local employment opportunities.
Emphasis was laid on innovation and new ideas during the meeting. Holding the review session at the hilltop itself was intended to encourage officials to think beyond conventional administrative approaches. The District Magistrate asked departments to adopt new development benchmarks and come up with practical, locally relevant solutions rather than limiting their role to routine implementation of schemes.
Later, while interacting with the media, the District Magistrate said feedback was being taken from the media and the community regarding the establishment of new industries in the district. He added that constructive suggestions would be forwarded to the government and efforts would be made to implement them on the ground. Describing the initiative as a milestone for Sheikhpura, he said such meetings help provide fresh direction to administrative thinking.
Speaking about governance initiatives, the District Magistrate said that under the ongoing Good Governance Week, the “Prashasan Aapke Dwar” programme is being conducted across all panchayats. Under this initiative, officials are visiting rural areas to hear public grievances, with several issues being resolved on the spot.
He noted that problems related to the Nal-Jal drinking water scheme are the most frequently reported in villages. The district administration has decided to launch a special drive to address these issues and ensure access to safe drinking water.
The District Magistrate also shared details about the government’s women employment scheme, under which women have recently received financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to start self-employment ventures. He said the administration would closely monitor the utilisation of the funds to ensure the intended beneficiaries are able to establish sustainable livelihoods. Technical, administrative and guidance support will be provided to women wherever required.
Deputy Development Commissioner Sanjay Kumar and Additional Collector Lakhindra Paswan were also present during the meeting and the subsequent media interaction.
Overall, the administrative meeting held atop Girihinda Hill is being seen as a significant step towards shaping a new development narrative for Sheikhpura, with tourism, innovation and responsive governance at its core.
