Bill Gates to visit Bihar for anti-polio drive

PATNA, INDIA: Microsoft chief Bill Gates will visit Bihar Wednesday to see the Indian government's anti-polio campaign, a spokesperson said Tuesday, denying a report that he planned to adopt a village in the state.

"Bill Gates will be in Bihar to witness the Indian government's financial and operational commitment to a world-class polio campaign. He believes the battle to eradicate this disease can be won," said Suparna G. Srivastava of the official public relations agency of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"He (Gates) hopes to see the local communities' involvement, which is critical to sustaining support for vaccine programmes," Srivastava said in a statement emailed to IANS. "There are operational innovations happening in Bihar to reach all children with vaccinations against this disease."

The spokesperson described as "inaccurate" an earlier report, attributed to Khagaria district Superintendent of Police Sudhanshu Kumar, that Gates would adopt Gularia village, about 170 km from Patna, to help improve its socio-economic condition.

Gates is scheduled to meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the state capital.