E-Paper
Nitish to visit SEZ and Virat Ramayan Temple during his ‘Samriddhi Yatra’ in Champaran
The CM will spend the first two days of the public outreach programme, commencing Friday, inspecting key projects and interacting with local stakeholders. The exercise is being viewed as an effort to showcase emerging infrastructure as well as the state’s expanding religious tourism map.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is all set to begin his Samriddhi Yatra with a visit to the Kumarbagh industrial area in West Champaran on the opening day, followed by a visit to the Virat Ramayana Temple at Kathawaliya in East Champaran district the next day, where a Shivling is scheduled to be installed on January 17.
The CM’s Samriddhi Yatra will begin on January 16 and conclude on January 24, with no official engagements scheduled for January 18.
The CM will spend the first two days of the public outreach programme, commencing Friday, inspecting key projects and interacting with local stakeholders. The exercise is being viewed as an effort to showcase emerging infrastructure as well as the state’s expanding religious tourism map. “He will visit the Kumarbagh industrial area to review the progress made by existing industrial units and also inspect developments related to the Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Besides, he will interact with local entrepreneurs,” said Taranjot Singh, district magistrate, West Champaran.
Located about 9 km from Bettiah, the headquarters of West Champaran district, Kumarbagh—popularly known as the Kumarbagh Industrial Area—now houses around 40 industrial units engaged in food processing, textiles, steel processing, and rice- and paddy-based operations. The area also hosts a steel processing unit set up by SAIL. It has gained further prominence with the Central government’s approval of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for 2024–25—along with the SEZ at Navanagar in Buxar—for which 125 acres of land have been acquired from the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA).
The CM will lay the foundation stones for 125 schemes worth ₹125 crore and inaugurate 36 projects worth ₹29 crore on the opening day of his visit to West Champaran, an official statement said.
Meanwhile, enthusiasm has gripped entrepreneurs over the prospect of interacting with the Chief Minister during his visit to the Kumarbagh industrial area. “The Mukhyamantri Udyami Yojana has truly transformed the lives of many of us. Our units are not only doing business but also providing employment to 15–20 people each,” said Munindar Kumar, owner of Munindar Narayan and Group Enterprises, a garment-related unit. “It would work wonders if a little more money could be provided as working capital,” another entrepreneur said. Entrepreneurs such as Nishikant Patel and Kumar Anupam also expressed gratitude to the CM for the benefits received under the Mukhyamantri Udyami Yojana.
Meanwhile, the East Champaran district administration has declared the Virat Ramayana Temple at Kaithwaliya, the under-construction bridge over the Dhanauti River in Majuraha village, and a few other locations as Temporary Red Zones/No Drone Fly Zones from January 14 to January 18, 2026, in view of the CM’s security arrangements. “Yes, the honourable CM is scheduled to visit the Virat Ramayana Temple as things stand today,” said Saurabh Jorwal, district magistrate, East Champaran.
Situated on the Chakia–Kesariya road (NH-227A) is the Virat Ramayana Temple site, where the world’s largest Shivling—210 tonnes in weight and 33 feet in height—is to be installed on January 17. The CM’s visit is being seen as an attempt to highlight the temple’s growing role in strengthening the region’s religious tourism footprint, complementing the state government’s development narrative.
