Nitish Inaugurates Smart Card Scheme in Patna
Patna: May 27, 2008
 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the District Transport Office in Patna on Tuesday inaugurated the so-called 'Smart Card Scheme' with computerized drivers' license issuing system to ease burden on the current method that is archaic, time-consuming, and extremely frustrating.
"Bihar is moving fast in automation and computerization in all government departments and the idea that the state is backward in terms of information and technology has been shattered once and for all" the Chief Minister said.
Kumar said the program would soon be instituted in other districts to speed up issuance of driver's license while ensuring the system is not abused in any way by officials with access to the computers.
 Spending more than an hour at the District Transport Office, Kumar personally witnessed the entire process and handed out the very first computerized driver's license to Station Road resident and a bank employee Swati Neha.
District Magistrate Jitendra Kumar Sinha, Transport Chief Secretary K. K. Pathak and other officials were also present on the occasion.
The work of transferring all existing data into the new system has already begun and is expected to be completed within next couple of weeks, Transport Officer Neelkamal said while appealing to the people to bear with the initial bumps that are true in any new system.
The new card is expected to cost Rs. 300 more than the old driver' license.
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