Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday urged the Centre to release ₹18,000-crore for the state’s “tap water to every household” programme, in which the state government invested to achieve the national target of Jal Jeevan Mission.
“Due to certain reasons, the amount could not be taken from the Government of India. Therefore, it is requested that in the central share of ₹13,000-crore and ₹5,000-crore for the ongoing scheme, i.e. a total of ₹18,000 crore be made available under the head,” he added.
Choudhary also urged the Centre to provide assistance for the establishment of a string of institutes, viz. regional branch of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), the School of Planning and Architecture, Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture and the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Managment (NIFTEM) in Bihar.
The CM was speaking at the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Themed around the “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) vision, the conference focused on creating better ecosystems for youth through quality education, skilling, employment, and the collective responsibility of the Centre and States.
He also sought ₹750-crore assistance for the pilot project under the Integrated Scheme in Skilling Architecture (ISSA), ₹1,500 crore for Jannayak Karpuri Thakur Skill University and additional cooperation for the establishment of National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) Bhagalpur.
“Bihar also expects special support from the central government for host long the National Youth Games in 2028, the Hockey World Cup in 2030 and the National Games in 2031. To boost tourism, there is need to facilitate international air connectivity,” he added.
The CM also batted for a regional centre of the National Institute of Design in Bihar and 10 plug-and-play industrial parks equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure under the “Bharat Industrial Development Scheme (BHAVYA) with the cooperation of the Centre.
“I want to assure the PM that under his guidance, the Bihar government is constantly striving to contribute to the goal of a developed India with the mantra ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’. A prosperous Bihar will also be actively involved in realising the vision of ‘Developed India-2047’,” he added.
Highlighting the strides Bihar has made in different sphere, Choudhary said that the state was focusing on inclusive human development for Viksit Bharat @2047 through multi-pronged strategy.
“Bihar government is working in mission mode for industrialisation and 14,037 acres of new industrial land has been approved. In the last two years, more than ₹1 lakh crore of private capital investment has been attracted for various projects,” he added.
He said the state government has set a target of developing 14 greenfield satellite townships in more than three lakh acres of land for the planned and balanced urban development of the state.
The CM said that 91% of the 76,202 schools in the state have internet facility and there was 100% coverage of toilets in girls’ schools. “Bihar is also setting up 211 degree colleges in blocks, while 118,000 artisans have been trained under PM-Vishwakarma scheme. Aryabhatta International Skill Hub is being established in Patna at a cost of ₹640 crore,” he added.
