Bihar Darshan: Why Must Samrat Choudhary-Led Government Employees Go On Family Trips Every 3 Months?

Bihar government has made it compulsory for all state govt staff to travel across Bihar once every three months under 'Bihar Darshan' initiative. Officials must visit at least 3 tourist destinations outside their home or posting districts in Bihar. 

Bihar government launches ‘Bihar Darshan’ tourism initiative

The Bihar government, led by CM Samrat Choudhary, has announced a unique tourism initiative that will require all state government officials and employees to travel across Bihar with their families once every three months.

The new order has been issued by B Rajendra, Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration Department. The programme has been named ‘Bihar Darshan’.

According to the government, the move aims to promote tourism, strengthen local businesses and support rural economies across the state. Officials believe the initiative will also help people discover lesser-known tourist, eco-tourism and rural tourism destinations in Bihar.

What the new Bihar government order says

Under the directive, all state government employees posted in Bihar must go on a two-day and two-night trip every three months with their families.

The trips will usually be planned around Fridays and Saturdays. During every visit, employees and officials must explore at least three tourist places located nearby and stay overnight in the area.

The government has made it clear that the time spent during these trips will be treated as official duty or “on duty” time.

The order also says that officers cannot travel to their home districts under the programme. Divisional and district-level officers must select tourism destinations located outside the districts where they are currently posted.

Senior officials, including district magistrates, senior deputy superintendents of police, divisional forest officers, superintendents of police and regional chief conservators of forests, will also have to follow the same rule.

No official meetings or inspections during trips

The Bihar government has strictly directed officials not to conduct review meetings, inspections or any official administrative work during the tourism visits.

The order clearly states that officials must not operate from their official residences during the trip period. The travel is meant only for tourism, cultural experience and gathering local feedback.

Officials have been asked to spend time understanding local tourism facilities, culture, food and public experiences rather than carrying out government work. 

Reports, photos and feedback will be mandatory

After returning from the tour, all employees and officers will have to submit a detailed feedback report to the District Magistrate or their department.

The report must include photographs of the tourist places visited, details about local facilities and their personal experiences during the journey.

Each department will appoint a nodal officer to collect and compile these reports. The information will later be shared with the tourism, environment and forest, and art and culture departments to improve tourism infrastructure in different parts of Bihar.

Government wants to promote rural tourism and homestays

The Bihar government is especially focusing on rural tourism and homestay culture through the scheme.

Officials have been encouraged to stay in local homes or homestays on a paid basis so they can experience local culture, food and hospitality closely. The government believes this will create more employment opportunities and strengthen the local economy in villages and small towns.

Authorities also hope the initiative will increase awareness about many tourism spots in Bihar that are still less explored.

Districts asked to improve tourism facilities

Since a large number of officials are expected to travel regularly under the programme, district administrations have been instructed to review accommodation and food arrangements in their areas.

District Magistrates have been asked to coordinate with government guest houses and private hotels to ensure proper facilities for visitors.

Information related to hotels, guest houses and tourism facilities will also be uploaded on official district websites to make travel planning easier for employees.

The Bihar government believes the initiative can help improve tourism visibility, increase local income and create better tourism infrastructure across the state in the coming years.

(With inputs from agencies)