Thursday, February 9 2006 17:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Determined to erase the image of Bihar as a state synonymous with lack of development, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today(Feb 9,2006) said radical steps are being taken to woo investors and boost urban infrastructure.

"A bill is being drafted for introduction in the forthcoming Budget session of the state assembly to encourage investment promotion and urban infrastructure development," he told sources in an interview.

The measure comes close on the heels of Kumar making a strong case for Bihar at a recent meeting of NRIs at Hyderabad where he went all out to woo prospective investors.

Asked about the response from investors, he said a number of them had shown keen interest in different sectors and "We are processing their documents".

To a question, he said investors had shown interest in setting up hospitals, multiplexes and sugar industries.

Kumar said Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar will isit Patna on February 13 when issues relating to revival of sick sugarcane units in Bihar would be discussed.

"We intend to expand the activities of existing sugarcane factories in the state and take effective measures to revive the 15 closed units besides encouraging setting up of new ones," he said adding that a high-level committee constituted by him to go into the problems of sugarcane industry was likely to submit its report to him shortly.