Jan Suraj Party founder and Bankipur MLA Prashant Kishor has been given a new responsibility in the Bihar Legislative Assembly. According to a notification issued by the Assembly Secretariat, he has been appointed a member of the Committee on Tourism Industry, chaired by Janata Dal United MLA Manoranjan Singh alias Dhumal Singh. Kishor’s tenure on the committee will cover the remaining approximately seven months of the financial year 2026-27.
The appointment comes after Kishor entered the Assembly for the first time and gives him an opportunity to work in a subject-specific legislative committee. The committee deals with matters related to tourism, tourism-linked industries and related policy issues in Bihar.
Legislative Assembly committees provide representation to MLAs from the ruling side, opposition and other parties. Through these committees, matters related to different departments and subjects are reviewed.
As a committee member, Kishor will be able to participate in discussions and reviews concerning tourism and industry-related matters. The committee is headed by Manoranjan Singh alias Dhumal Singh.
According to the list issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the committee has 10 members: Manoranjan Singh alias Dhumal Singh, Sunil Kumar Pintu, Anil Singh, Virendra Kumar, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Vashishtha Singh, Ramanand Mandal, Bablu Kumar, Gautam Krishna and Prashant Kishor. Manoranjan Singh alias Dhumal Singh is the chairman.
Bihar has several sites associated with Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, Sikh and Sufi traditions. Gaya, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Vaishali, Patna Sahib, Pawapuri and several historical and cultural sites in Mithilanchal attract tourists from India and abroad.
The committee’s work can cover issues related to tourism infrastructure, connectivity, tourist safety, hotels and local businesses. Tourism is also directly linked to local employment, with hotels, restaurants, transport services, handicrafts, local markets and other small businesses connected to tourist activity.
Bihar’s historical and religious tourism sector includes international Buddhist visitors to Bodh Gaya, the historical sites of Rajgir and Nalanda, Patna Sahib as a major religious site for the Sikh community, and Gaya, where people from different parts of the country arrive for Pind Daan.
Mithilanchal and Seemanchal also have potential for cultural and natural tourism. Local art, cuisine, folk traditions and historical sites can be connected through tourism circuits.
Issues related to roads, railways and air connectivity can arise in discussions on tourism infrastructure. Basic facilities such as cleanliness, drinking water, toilets, parking and information centres are also connected with tourism facilities.
Developing new tourism circuits has also been a continuing requirement for Bihar’s tourism sector. Religious and historical sites can be connected to facilitate multi-day travel.
Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda can be connected as a tourism circuit for international visitors, while Patna, Vaishali and Patna Sahib can be linked to promote religious and historical tourism.
Digital technology can also be used in the tourism sector through online ticketing, digital guides, multilingual information, mapping and tourist assistance centres.
Tourism and industry are both included in the committee’s mandate. Bihar has scope for tourism-based industries, including hotels, homestays, local transport, handicrafts, food businesses and souvenirs.
In historical cities, heritage conservation and tourism development also need to be addressed together. Preservation of old buildings and historical sites alongside visitor facilities is an issue connected with tourism development. Government investment and private-sector participation can also be relevant to such efforts.
The committee can discuss tourism department schemes, budgets, project progress and their implementation. Legislative committees review the status of schemes and implementation and can provide suggestions where required.
Prashant Kishor has been involved in political activities in Bihar around issues including employment, education, migration and development. His appointment to the Assembly committee provides an institutional forum for him to raise issues related to these areas within the legislative process.
His political journey entered a new phase after he became a member of the Assembly. After gaining national recognition as an election strategist, Kishor launched the Jan Suraj campaign in Bihar, which was later converted into a political party. His role as an Assembly member now forms another stage of his political career.
Assembly committees are an important part of the functioning of the House. Since there is limited time for detailed discussion of every subject on the floor of the House, committees can examine specific departments or subjects in greater detail. Members can obtain information from concerned officials and review different matters.
Kishor has been given a seven-month responsibility on the committee. His participation in committee meetings and the issues he raises during this period will form part of his legislative role. Membership of the committee is not a ministerial or executive decision-making position; the committee works within the Assembly process to conduct reviews and provide suggestions.
Politically, the appointment expands Kishor’s legislative role. Despite his party having limited representation in the Assembly, he has been included in the committee, allowing him to participate in regular committee proceedings.
The committee’s tourism and industry mandate covers sectors linked to employment and economic activity in Bihar. Kishor has repeatedly raised questions concerning employment opportunities in the state, and tourism-based employment and industry development can be among the issues relevant to his committee responsibilities.
Over the coming months, the committee’s meetings, the issues it examines and the suggestions that emerge will determine the scope of its work. The condition of tourism sites, progress of projects and facilities available to tourism-related industries can form part of the committee’s review.
Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraj Party and MLA from Bankipur, has been appointed a member of the Bihar Assembly’s Committee on Tourism Industry. The committee is chaired by JDU MLA Manoranjan Singh alias Dhumal Singh and has 10 members, while Kishor’s tenure is set for the remaining approximately seven months of financial year 2026-27.
