Patna: Amid a walkout by opposition members led by RJD lawmakers, finance minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the budgetary allocation of Rs 3.47 lakh crore for the 2026-27 fiscal would help empower the state socially and economically. He said the govt has set a target to double people’s income over the next five years.Yadav was replying to the govt’s response to the two-day House debate on the 2026-27 state budget. He said the process had begun for the uplift of 94 lakh poorest families in the state and that financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh would soon be provided to help them start their own economic activities.
He said while 1.56 crore women have already been paid Rs 10,000 each under the Mahila Rojgar Yojana, they would also be eligible for additional financial support of up to Rs 2 lakh after proper assessment of the economic activities undertaken by them over the six months since receiving the initial amount.The finance minister added that industrial units would be established in every district and closed sugar mills would also be reopened. He said Bihar accounts for 85% of the country’s makhana production and 83% of litchi output.“Attempts would be made to increase their production, since the returns to the farmers on their sale would help increase their income,” Yadav said.“The govt is committed to achieve social and economic empowerment of people and double their income, besides creating employment and work opportunities for one crore youths in five years,” Yadav said, adding, “The economy of Bihar has been steadily growing and would keep growing and expanding under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar.”Earlier, as the finance minister began delivering the govt’s reply to the House debate, opposition members led by RJD legislators staged a walkout.“We walked out of the House during the government’s reply because the government has failed to control the law and order situation. Not only has the crime graph been increasing, but sexual and murderous violence has also been rising alarmingly. The victims are not only women, but also adolescent girls, minor girls and children,” RJD senior member Alok Mehta told reporters outside the House later.Before that, while initiating the House debate in the post-lunch session on Monday, Mehta described the 2026-27 budget as “old wine in a new bottle”. Parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary objected to the phrase, citing the ban on liquor in the state and the prohibition law passed by the assembly in April 2016.On the same day, the finance minister also tabled the third supplementary budget worth Rs 12,185 crore for the 2025-26 financial year. This includes Rs 9,586 crore for scheme implementation and Rs 2,579 crore to meet committed expenditure such as payment of salaries and other dues. Both the 2026-27 budget and the third supplementary budget are scheduled to be passed by the House on the date fixed for it.
