New Delhi: Bihar got a major boost in the Union Budget Saturday, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing a slew of schemes and projects, including the setting up of a makhana board, in the state that will go to polls later this year.
Speaking in Parliament, the finance minister announced financial support for the Western Kosi Canal Extension, Renovation, and Modernisation (ERM) project, the expansion of IIT, Patna, and the establishment of greenfield airports, among other benefits.
Announcing the creation of a makhana board in the state, she said that the consumption of vegetables, fruits and millets was rising and, as a result, the government will launch a “comprehensive programme to promote production, efficient supplies, processing, and remunerative prices for farmers” in partnership with states.
The government will set up the appropriate institutional mechanisms for the implementation and participation of farmer-producer organisations and cooperatives. “For this, there is a special opportunity for the people of Bihar. A makhana board will be established in the state to improve the production, processing, value addition, and marketing of makhana,” she said.
Bihar is among the country’s top producers of the fox nut.
The finance minister announced that the people engaged in these activities will be organised into Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and that the board will provide help and train makhana farmers. “It will also work to ensure they receive the benefits of all relevant government schemes,” the finance minister said in her speech.
Furthermore, announcing support for food processing, Sitharaman said, “In line with our commitment towards ‘purvodaya’, we will establish a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar.”
“The institute will provide a strong fillip to food processing activities in the entire eastern region. This will result in enhanced income for the farmers through value addition to their produce, and skilling, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for the youth,” she added.
In a symbolic message, she also presented the Union Budget 2025 wearing a Madhubani saree—a cultural heritage of Bihar. The traditional folk art form has its roots in Bihar’s Mithila region, drawing its name from the Madhubani district.
आदरणीया केंद्रीय वित्त मंत्री श्रीमती @nsitharaman जी ने आज केंद्रीय बजट पेश करने के लिए मिथिला पेंटिंग की साड़ी पहन कर मिथिला और बिहार का मान बढ़ाया है। इसके लिए उन्हें सभी मिथिला और बिहारवासियों की ओर से सहृदय धन्यवाद।
यह साड़ी उन्हें गत नवंबर माह में मिथिला दौरे के दौरान… pic.twitter.com/amnJSNmUSz
— Sanjay Kumar Jha (@SanjayJhaBihar) February 1, 2025
Also Read: 44% rural households spend cash benefits from govt on increased food consumption—Economic Survey
Support for infrastructure development
The finance minister also announced greenfield airports for Bihar. This, she said, was in addition to the expansion of the capacity of Patna airport and a brownfield airport at Bihta. “Greenfield airports will be facilitated in Bihar to meet the future needs of the state,” she said.
Sitharaman also announced financial support for the Western Koshi Canal ERM Project in Mithilanchal. It will benefit “a large number of farmers cultivating over 50,000 hectares of land in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar”, she said.
The finance minister also said that the capacity of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) will be expanded, including the one in Patna
“Additional infrastructure will be created in the 5 IITs started after 2014 to facilitate education for 6,500 more students. Hostel and other infrastructure capacity at IIT, Patna, will also be expanded,” she said.
Soon after the announcements were made, Sanjay Kumar Jha, national working president of JD(U), thanked Sitharaman for the announcements.
“Empowering Mithila’s farmers! Heartfelt thanks to Hon. Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman ji from the people of Mithila for announcing financial support for the Western Kosi Canal ERM project,” he posted on X. BJP leaders from Bihar also took to social media platforms to express their happiness over the announcements made in the budget.
The announcements are significant in light of the Bihar Assembly elections that are scheduled for October-November this year.
Furthermore, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’’s ruling Janata Dal (United) party is a key ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
In the 2024 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell short of the majority mark of 272 seats, forcing it to rely on JD(U)’s 12 seats as well as the 16 seats won by Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to come back to power.
CM Nitish Kumar, who has a history of switching sides, had returned to the NDA fold just months before the Lok Sabha elections.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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