Union Budget 2024: No ‘special status’, but infrastructure bonanza for Bihar in Budget 2024-25
Union Budget 2024: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made significant announcements for Bihar when she presented the Union Budget 2024-25, including increased infrastructure and special financial assistance.
Finance Minister Sitharaman declared that the central government will provide financial help to Bihar through multilateral development agencies. "The government proposes Rs 26,000 crore for various road projects in Bihar."
Nirmala Sitharaman remarked that the Centre is going to build airports, medical colleges, and sports infrastructure in Bihar. "We will formulate plan Purvodaya for all round development of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh," she said.
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Nirmala Sitharaman added that the government will encourage an industrial corridor for growth in the eastern region.
"On the Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor, we will support the development of an industrial nod at Gaya in Bihar. We will also support the construction of road connectivity projects namely Patna-Purnia Expressway, Buxar-Bagalpur Expressway, Bodhgaya-Rajgir-Vaishali-Darbanga and an additional two-lane bridge over river Ganga at Buxar at a total cost of Rs 26,000 cr."
"Power projects, including setting up of a new 2400 megawatt power plant at Pirpainti, will be taken up at a cost of Rs 21400 crore," the Finance Minister further said.
The finance minister also stated that the government will distribute e-vouchers directly to 1 lakh students each year, with an interest subsidy of 3% of the loan amount.
She highlighted that the Bihar government's requests for external aid from multilateral development banks will be expedited. The FM also announced an allocation of Rs 11500 crore for flood management efforts in Bihar. Funds have also been granted for the development of temple corridors in NIhar's prominent temples. The Kashi Model will be adopted in Bodh Gaya. Special funds have also been allocated to the Rajgir Jain Temple location.
Notably, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU and N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP helped the BJP form a majority and return to power for the third time.
- PTC NEWS
