After ‘special status’ snub, Centre's infrastructure bonanza for Bihar in Union Budget 2024

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Centre will set up airports, medical colleges and sports infrastructure in Bihar.

Updated on: Jul 23, 2024, 11:59:07 IST

By HT News Desk

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Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget 2024 on Tuesday, announced that central government will arrange financial assistance to Bihar through aid from multilateral development agencies. “The government proposes ₹26,000 crore for various road projects in Bihar,” the finance minister said.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. (HT file)

Nirmala Sitharaman added that the Centre will set up airports, medical colleges and sports infrastructure in Bihar.

“We will formulate plan Purvodaya for all round development of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh,” she added.

Nirmala Sitharaman further said the government will support industrial corridor for development in the eastern region.

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The finance minister also said the government will provide e-vouchers directly to 1 lakh students every year with interest subvention of 3 per cent of loan amount.

The announcement comes a day after the Centre on Monday rejected the JD(U)’s request for ‘special category’ status for Bihar during the all-party meeting. No new states are being awarded ‘special category’ status at present, as the Indian Constitution does not accommodate such classification.

On Sunday, Manoj Kumar Jha, a leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), said Bihar was requesting both special state status and a distinct financial package. He noted that the call for special status for Bihar has persisted since the state was split into Bihar and Jharkhand.

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