Patna: Vijay Kumar Chaudhary officially assumed charge of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Bihar government on Tuesday. He was welcomed with flowers by Department Secretary Anupam Kumar and Director Vaibhav Srivastava before beginning his first day in office. After taking charge, he said that the Information and Public Relations Department is just as important as any other government department because it is responsible for sharing accurate information, statistics, and details of welfare schemes with the people.
Chaudhary stated that his priority will be to ensure that every government scheme reaches the public in a clear and accessible manner. The department currently functions across all subdivision levels of the state, and the minister said efforts will be made to make it even more effective. He explained that the department does not simply share information but also builds direct communication between the government and the public, while removing misunderstandings and clarifying facts about government programmes.
This is the third time Vijay Kumar Chaudhary has been appointed as the Information and Public Relations Minister in the Nitish Kumar government. He has earlier handled the department in 2015 and 2024. On the first day of duty, he instructed officials to respond quickly to fake news and ensure that only correct information reaches the public. He also directed all departments to use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube and Instagram to give timely and official responses to citizens’ questions.
The minister reviewed the work of the Public Relations and Social Media wings of the department. Officials informed him that the department has a dedicated social media team of 69 members who promote government schemes and activities of all departments. They carry out campaigns to increase awareness, improve engagement, and inform citizens about schemes, application processes, and public welfare initiatives. The PR team works through newspapers, TV, radio, outdoor advertising and digital media to communicate government achievements and also provides clarifications whenever misleading information appears.
Under the state’s Social Media Policy, the department has empanelled 806 influencers, 13 mobile apps and 287 web media platforms to help spread awareness about welfare schemes online. Officials also informed that the department will soon launch a new integrated website for all government departments of Bihar, offering new features and improved access to information for citizens. According to the latest figures, the Bihar Information and Public Relations Department has the highest Facebook following in India with 8,34,535 followers, along with strong reach on YouTube, X and Instagram.
The programme concluded in the presence of senior officers of the department, including Additional Secretary Satyendra Kumar Singh, Rajiv Kumar Singh, Vidhubhushan Chaudhary, Joint Director Ravi Bhushan Sahay, and Special Officer Kumaril Satyanand, marking the beginning of a renewed focus on transparent and digital government communication in the state.
