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The Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar tabled a Rs 3,16,895 crore Budget for 2025-26 Monday, which marked its last one ahead of the state Assembly polls slated for October-November this year.
Presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary, who has the Finance portfolio, highlighted how the state’s Budget size has increased by 15 times – from Rs 22,568 crore Budget in 2005-06 to about Rs 3.17 lakh crore now.
The Budget has made major allocations for the welfare of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and Scheduled Castes (SCs).
The Nitish government has allocated Rs 13,368 crore for several welfare schemes for the OBCs, EBCs, and minorities.
The key support base of the NDA, led by the BJP and the JD(U), includes sections of the EBCs and OBCs, which together account for about 63% of the population in the state.
The Budget has allocated Rs 19,648 crore for various welfare schemes for the SCs and the Scheduled Tribes (STs), which make up over 20% of the state’s population.
The government has earmarked Rs 3,303 crore for student scholarships whose 90% beneficiaries belong to the OBC, EBC and SC communities.
About two crore students studying in over 73,000 Bihar government schools (Classes one to eight) are beneficiaries of the scholarship schemes, who also include many upper caste children.
Education has got the maximum allocation to the tune of Rs 22,700 crore in the Budget. The health department has remained among top five priority areas of the Nitish government since 2005-06, getting an allocation of
Rs 10,298 crore this time. The state government has sought to boost health infrastructure by opening over 100 public health care centres in rural areas in the last 15 years.
As about 90% of the people from the OBCs and EBCs live in villages, the NDA government has allotted significant funds for the development of rural infrastructure that mainly involves roads, electricity, water supply and building construction.
The rural development department has been given a fund of Rs 15,586 crore – the second highest allocation.
The Budget has allocated Rs 5,972 crore for the CM’s pet scheme Saat Nischay-II, a development plan meant to make Bihar atmanirbhar (self-reliant), which involves construction and repair of village roads, drains, cleanliness drive, education loan, assistance allowance for unemployed youth, employment, and skill development programmes for women.
The government has allocated Rs 13,180 crore for ensuring subsidies in various schemes run under the departments like agriculture and energy.
The Budget has also made allocations to boost employment generation under several departments.
In line with the Nitish government’s focus on women empowerment, the Budget has proposed establishment of a “mahila haat (women’s marketplace)” in Patna, setting up “pink toilets” in all districts and running “pink buses” in major cities.
Choudhary also proposed the setting up of “Kanya Vivah Mandaps” in all panchayats to “help poor rural families with girls of marriageable age”.
JD (U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar told The Indian Express: “This Budget aims at ensuring inclusive development and employment generation – the core agenda of Nitish government. We have reached out to the women constituency by proposing several new initiatives such as opening the
women driver training centers in major cities. The provision of 33% quota has been made for women in the State Road Transport Corporation. We have looked at rural Bihar with special focus on the SCs, OBCs and EBCs”.
State BJP vice president Santosh Pathak said: “It is a forward-looking Budget and complements the Union Budget’s schemes for Bihar very well. Right from rural Bihar to industry development to women empowerment, the Budget has taken care of all aspects of inclusive development.”
