Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces special schemes for Bihar Budget of 2024-25

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23 announced several schemes for Bihar in her Budget 2024 speech. The schemes are a part of a larger plan titled “Purvodaya”, which covers the all-round development of eastern States including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.

The government will support the development of an industrial node in Gaya, Bihar, on the Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor, Ms. Sitharaman announced. “The industrial node at Gaya will also be a good model for developing our ancient centres of cultural importance into future centres of modern economy…this model will showcase ‘vikas bhi, virasat bhi’ [development as well as culture],” she added.

The Finance Minister announced road connectivity projects worth ₹26,000 crore in Bihar, including Patna-Purnia Expressway; Buxar-Bhagalpur Expressway; Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Darbhanga spurs; and a two-lane bridge over River Ganga at Buxar.

A 2,400-MW power plant will be set up in Pirpainti of Bhagalpur district of Bihar at a cost of ₹21,400 crore, Ms. Sitharaman said.

Bihar has also been included in the list of States that will receive flood assistance. “Bihar has frequently suffered from floods, many of them originating outside the country. Plans to build flood control structures in Nepal are yet to progress,” Ms. Sitharaman said. Under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme along with other sources, financial support to the tune of ₹11,500 crore will be provided to projects like the Kosi-Mechi intra-state link.

The central government will support comprehensive development of Vishnupad Temple Corridor and Mahabodhi Temple Corridor, as well as Nalanda, to develop them as tourist destinations.

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Rajgir, which holds religious significance for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, will also be the subject of a comprehensive development initiative.

The government also plans on constructing new airports, medical colleges, and sports infrastructure in Bihar, as well providing support to the State to support capital investments through additional allocation.

The Janata Dal (United) party, a key ally for Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, had previously demanded that a special financial package for the State be announced during the Budget session. The government had already ruled out the grant of special category status for Bihar.

This was Finance Minister Sitharaman’s seventh straight Budget for the third term of Modi government.