New Delhi: NDA-ruled Bihar, where Assembly elections are due to be held by the end of year, got special attention from finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday as she stepped out to present the Union Budget 2025-26 draped in a Madhubani art sari. This was just the beginning. The state drew special focus from the finance minister as she made a slew of announcements amid thumping of tables and smiles from the BJP’s NDA allies in Bihar. Ms Sitharaman announced financial support for the Western Kosi canal project in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar, setting up of a Makhana Board and an institute in Bihar for food processing, besides expansion plans for airports as well as the IIT-Patna.
Bihar, now ruled by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), is due to hold Assembly polls in November this year, and the JDU-BJP coalition hopes to retain power in the state. Chief minister Nitish Kumar has been demanding a special financial package for the state for a long time. While that demand is still unfulfilled, Ms Sitharaman found other ways to keep the state ally happy.
Interestingly, Ms Sitharaman wore a sari depicting Madhubani art made by Dulari Devi, a Padma Shri awardee in 2021. Ms Dulari Devi had gifted the sari to the minister during her visit to the state, requesting her to wear it on the day she presented the Budget.
While announcing that appropriate institutional mechanisms for implementation and participation of farmer producer organisations and cooperatives will be set up, the FM said there was a special opportunity for the people of Bihar. “A Makhana Board will be established in the state to improve production, processing, value addition, and marketing of makhana. The people engaged in these activities will be organised into FPOs. The board will provide hand-holding and training support to makhana farmers and will also work to ensure they receive the benefits of all relevant government schemes,” she said.
She further announced setting up of a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar, which is in line with the Union government’s commitment towards “Purvodaya”. The institute will provide a strong fillip to food processing activities in the entire eastern region, she said. This will result in enhanced income for farmers through value addition to their produce, and skilling, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for the youth, she added.
The FM also mentioned setting up greenfield airports in Bihar. “Greenfield airports will be facilitated in Bihar to meet the future needs of the state. These will be in addition to the expansion of the capacity of Patna airport and a brownfield airport at Bihta,” the FM said.
In addition to all this, financial support will be provided for the Western Koshi Canal ERM Project in Mithilanchal, benefiting a large number of farmers cultivating over 50,000 hectares of land in the region, the FM said.
Ms Sitharaman further said as the Centre creates additional infrastructure in five IITs, it will provide support for enhancing the capacity of IIT Patna too. “Additional infrastructure will be created in the five IITs started after 2014 to facilitate education for 6,500 more students. Hostel and other infrastructure capacity at IIT Patna will also be expanded.”
However, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is also Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, attacked chief minister Nitish Kumar for his inability to secure a fair deal for the state. “Just look at TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, who has secured benefits to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore for Andhra Pradesh. The Budget presented today is silent on any such help for Bihar. We also do not know where the Rs 59,000 crores promised last year has been spent,” said Mr Yadav.
“The CM seems to have already abandoned the demand for special status, on which finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not speak a word while presenting the Budget. There is not even a special economic package for the poor state, which is being cheated by the Modi government as all good things are being done for the Prime Minister’s home state of Gujarat,” Mr Yadav alleged.
Hailing the announcements, food processing industry minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan said: “Establishment of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar will strengthen food processing activities in the entire eastern region and increase the income of farmers by improving the quality of their produce.”
JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha said setting up a Makhana Board in Bihar will unlock new opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs and it will turn out to be a game-changer for the region’s agricultural economy.
