Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on August 15, 2026 on the occasion of 80th Indpendence Day. Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
By A Correspondent
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday (August 15, 2026) hoisted the national flag at the historic Gandhi Maidan here after inspecting the Independence Day parade and outlined his government’s vision for building a developed and prosperous state.
Addressing the people, Choudhary extended greetings to the state’s 14 crore residents and paid tribute to freedom fighters whose sacrifices secured India’s independence.
“Freedom is not only a right but also a responsibility,” he said, asserting that Bihar was moving forward with the spirit of “service, resolve and dedication”.
Samrat Choudhary highlighted the government’s Sahyog camps, held twice a month, as an initiative to take administration to people’s doorsteps. He said a 30-day deadline had been fixed for grievance redressal and disciplinary action was being taken against officials found negligent. Of 6,46,181 applications received, 95 per cent had been disposed of, he claimed.
On law and order, Choudhary said Bihar had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards crime. Under the Emergency Response Support System, 1,833 emergency vehicles provide police, ambulance, fire, disaster-response and other services, with an average response time of 10 minutes.
He said women’s safety remained a top priority, noting that women’s help desks had been established at 855 police stations and Abhaya Brigades formed across the state.
Samrat Choudhary said the state government had presented a record ₹3.47 lakh crore budget for 2026-27, with infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, employment, technology and social security among its priorities. He said Bihar’s revenue collection had increased by 16.75 per cent up to June.
The government is targeting investment of ₹5 lakh crore and has expanded industrial incentives, including the Bihar Semiconductor Policy 2026, aimed at making the state a major semiconductor manufacturing hub by 2030.
In the power sector, Bihar has met a record peak demand of 9,475 MW, while 4.83 lakh BPL households are being provided rooftop solar systems under the PM Surya Ghar scheme. The state has set a target of covering 25 lakh households with rooftop solar by 2027.
The Chief Minister also highlighted plans for 12 greenfield satellite townships, five expressways and six high-speed corridors covering around 589 km. Work is also progressing on new airports and airstrips across the state.
Education, he said, remained a major priority, with more than ₹66,676 crore, around 20 per cent of the state budget, allocated to the sector. Degree colleges have been opened in 211 blocks, with 2,451 teachers appointed.
The government will also launch a Vidyarthi Sahayata Portal from August 17 to address students’ grievances within 30 days, he said.
On healthcare, Samrat Choudhary said 30-bed community health centres were being upgraded into speciality hospitals and district hospitals into super-speciality facilities. The government has also decided to provide medical services at home to people aged above 80.
He said irrigation and flood-management projects worth ₹9,753 crore were being implemented, while the Kosi-Mechi Link Project was progressing at an estimated cost of ₹6,282 crore.
Promoting tourism and employment, the Chief Minister announced heli-tourism services at Valmikinagar, Mundeshwari Dham and Rajgir, besides a helicopter joyride service in Patna. A Tirupati Balaji temple will also be built on 10 acres in Mokama.
Choudhary said Bihar aimed to provide government jobs and employment opportunities to one crore young people by 2030 and called upon Biharis living outside the state to return and contribute to its development.
He urged citizens to take a fresh pledge to build a Bihar that takes pride in its heritage while helping lead India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation.
–With inputs from Bihar Government’s Hindi press release
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