Patna: The Bihar assembly on Thursday passed the first supplementary budget of over Rs 87,376 crore for 2026-27, with deputy CM-cum-finance minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav rejecting opposition claims of a financial crisis and asserting that the state’s finances remained sound.Participating in the debate on the appropriation Bill, Yadav accused opposition leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, of spreading misinformation and said payments to agencies and contractors were being made regularly. The debate focused on the rural development department’s allocation of Rs 13,682.63 crore, to which minister Shrawan Kumar replied on behalf of the govt.Seeking the House’s approval for the appropriation Bill, Yadav said the supplementary budget earmarks Rs 25,404 crore for capital expenditure under the state plan head. Overall, Rs 57,077 crore has been allocated for the implementation of schemes and projects, while Rs 30,265 crore has been set aside for committed expenditure, including salaries, pensions and allowances. An additional Rs 39 crore has been provided for central sector schemes.Replying to the discussion on the rural development department’s demand, minister Shrawan Kumar said 11.83 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) and their 1.83 crore Ajivika Didis had emerged as major contributors to Bihar’s gross state domestic product (GSDP).He said the groups receive bank loans at 1% interest for economic activities and maintain a repayment rate of more than 99%, making them among the best-performing community institutions in the state.To further strengthen their contribution to the economy, Kumar said village haats are being developed at the panchayat, block, district and state levels to market products made by SHG members. Similar haats will also be set up at major tourist destinations, including Bodh Gaya, Vaishali and Kesaria, among others.
