True to his word, Buta takes salute

Amidst uncertainty hanging over his continuance in office after his indictment by the Supreme Court, Bihar Governor Buta Singh on Thursday unfurled the Tricolour and took salute at the Republic Day function in Patna.

True to his declaration at a press conference in New Delhi two days back that he would take salute at the Republic Day function, Buta Singh arrived at the historic Gandhi Maidan at the appointed hour, unfurled the national flag, gave away gallantry awards and addressed the gathering.

The apex court had passed strictures against him for his role in the dissolution of the 13th Bihar Assembly.

In his 10-minute speech at the Republic Day function, Buta Singh, widely speculated to be on his way out, enumerated measures being taken by the newly-installed NDA government in Bihar and expressed concern over ultra-left extremism.

"One of the biggest problems facing Bihar is that of extremist violence. To tackle it, the government is formulating schemes and I am hopeful that on implementation of these schemes the problem of extremism will be solved," he said.

The Governor underlined the need for expeditious implementation of land reforms and creation of job opportunities for effectively tackling the Naxal problem.

Terming satisfactory law and order as a pre-requisite for progress, the Governor said the police force in the state was being strengthened and modernised to enable it to effectively fight crime and criminals.

He expressed happiness over steps being taken by the new government for speeding up the pace of development.