By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced several significant decisions during the cabinet meeting held on Friday. A total of 55 agendas were approved in the first cabinet meeting of the new year, 2025. These include major initiatives under schemes such as Namami Gange and the development of Darbhanga Airport.
Among the key approvals, 21 cases were related to the Chief Minister’s Pragati Yatra, with a scheme worth over ₹2,960 crore receiving the green light. This includes the establishment and operation of Xavier University in the private sector at Digha Ghat, Patna. To upgrade Darbhanga Airport to international status, ₹244.60 crore was sanctioned for the acquisition of 89.75 acres of land, while ₹207.70 crore was allocated for acquiring an additional 149 acres for the development of Raxaul Airport.
The cabinet also emphasised the promotion of art and culture. A total of 38 new posts were approved for Bihar State Film Development and Finance Corporation Limited in Patna. Additionally, ₹246.23 crore will be spent on redeveloping officers’ housing and a hostel complex on Nehru Path, Patna.
For the development of industrial areas in Bihar, ₹1,001.92 crore was sanctioned for acquiring 1,243.45 acres of Raiti land in Vaishali district. Similarly, ₹298.77 crore was allocated for infrastructure development in Sitamarhi district under the Infrastructure Development Authority, Patna.
In the power sector, a new scheme worth ₹157 crore was approved for Vaishali, Hajipur, and Samastipur under Bihar State Power Transmission Company Limited. Furthermore, ₹51.54 crore was sanctioned for developing the Luv Kush Eco Tourism Park in Valmiki Nagar, West Champaran district.
The cabinet also approved the installation of CCTV cameras at 72 major intersections across 26 districts to monitor and penalise traffic violations. This initiative will be funded through the State Road Safety Fund, with ₹35.46 crore allocated for maintenance over five years.
For vehicle modernisation, ₹59.08 crore was sanctioned for the purchase of vehicles through the GeM portal to replace those older than 15 years in 422 state blocks. Under the Namami Gange Yojana, ₹356.99 crore was approved for constructing the Nagar Nigam Katihar Sewage Treatment Plant.
Further approvals include ₹59.83 crore for constructing a minority residential school with a capacity of 560 students in Sugauli, East Champaran, and ₹58.59 crore for a similar school in Jiradei, Siwan. Additionally, ₹34.09 crore was sanctioned for building a new hostel at Patna Law College under the State Scheme.
The government also increased the sugarcane procurement price by ₹10 per quintal for the 2024–25 session to support farmers. To address the issue of dilapidated office buildings, ₹16.62 crore was allocated for constructing new block and zonal office buildings.
This comprehensive set of decisions underscores the Bihar government’s commitment to infrastructure development, education, agriculture, and industrial growth in 2025.
