Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. File Photo
By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to take key decisions at the start of the new year, with the state government’s first Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 11 am in the Cabinet Hall of the Main Secretariat. According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat Department, all Cabinet ministers, including both Deputy Chief Ministers—Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha—will attend the meeting.
The meeting is being held just three days ahead of the Chief Minister’s Samriddhi Yatra , beginning on January 16, 2026, during which he will tour various districts to review the implementation of government schemes. Proposals related to development, employment, infrastructure and administrative reforms are expected to be discussed, laying a strong groundwork for the forthcoming tour.
The previous Cabinet meeting took place on December 16, 2025, and cleared a single agenda item—the approval of the *Saat Nischay-3 (2025–2030)* programme. The initiative aims to place Bihar among the country’s most developed states, following the success of its earlier two phases (2015–2020 and 2020–2025).
The first resolution under Saat Nischay-3 is “Double Employment, Double Income”, which targets doubling the state’s per capita income. As many as 9.4 million poor families will be prioritised under employment schemes. Under the Chief Minister’s Women Employment Scheme, women will receive initial assistance of ₹10,000, along with support of up to ₹2 lakh to help them start self-employment ventures.
The second resolution, “Prosperous Industry, Empowered Bihar”, sets a target of attracting ₹50 lakh crore in private investment over the next five years. Plans include reopening nine closed sugar mills and setting up 25 new ones. Industrial areas will be developed in all districts to encourage large-scale investment.
The third resolution, “Progress in Agriculture, Prosperity of the State”, focuses on accelerating the fourth Agriculture Roadmap. Measures include boosting makhana production and processing, setting up Sudha sales centres in every panchayat, and ensuring irrigation facilities reach every farm. The fourth resolution, “Advanced Education, Bright Future”, proposes upgrading old and prestigious institutions into Centres of Excellence and constructing a new Education City.
The fifth resolution, “Accessible Healthcare, Secure Life”, envisages developing block-level health centres into speciality hospitals and district hospitals into super-speciality facilities. The sixth, “Strong Foundation, Modern Expansion”, centres on urban development, with plans for new modern cities and affordable housing for the urban poor. The final resolution, “Respect for All, Easier Living”, emphasises technology, innovation and good governance to simplify citizens’ lives.
Particular attention is focused on employment and job-related decisions in the year’s first Cabinet meeting. Based on past decisions, there is speculation that major announcements—such as the regularisation of contractual workers or fresh recruitment drives—could be made. The meeting is expected to give renewed momentum to the state’s development agenda.
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