CM Kumar underlines NDA’s commitment for development; extends thanks to PM Modi

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar vows to boost industrial growth, employment, and rural development, highlighting past achievements and future plans during assembly debate.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said, the state government, committed to all round development of Bihar in past 20 years, would give a boost to industrial growth, farm sector, employment for women, youth as well as development of cities and rural areas in the next five years. He was addressing the assembly during a debate on a motion of thanks to the Governor’s joint address to members of both Houses of legislature on Wednesday.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar arrives during winter session at Bihar Assembly in Patna, Thursday (SANTOSH KUMAR/HT)

Outlining his new government’s emphasis on fast tracking the development agenda, the CM also thanked PM Modi and the Centre for extending all help to the state, including economic packages in last few years, even as he urged all the members of the House to raise their hands to show their gratitude to the PM.

He said, “In the budget presented in July, 2024, the Centre extended a special financial assistance for improving roads industry, health, tourism and flood control. In the subsequent budget, presented in February, 2025, the Union budget proposed setting up of a Makhana Board, and financial aid for establishment of airports and the West Kosi canal project. Bihar was also given the honour of hosting, this year, the Khelo India Youth Games.”

At one moment, CM Kumar also took potshots at the opposition benches for showing reluctance in raising their hands. “Why don’t you all raise your hands? The PM and Centre’s help to Bihar is bringing benefits to all,” Kumar said, evoking some cryptic comments and laughter from the opposition members.

“Didn’t I work with you all for sometime? That time, you all used to listen to me. You all remember, how much work I had done at that time but I later severed ties when you all started messing up... Now , I will never switch sides,” CM Kumar said, trying to reiterate that his bonding with BJP and other partners in the NDA was stronger than ever after flip-flops twice when he had formed government with the RJD-Congress Mahagathbandhan in 2015 and 2022.

Later, he repeated the gesture in legislative council, of which he is himself a member, even as the opposition, led by former CM Rabri Devi, voiced anguish over the Chair not allowing them to speak on the motion of thanks, informing them that their proposed amendments would be treated as their submissions.

In his speech in the assembly and council, CM Kumar talked at length the works done by his government in the past 20 years in all key sectors like health, education, agriculture, road, power and infrastructure by highlighting how things were in shoddy condition when he came to power in 2005.

“There used to be footfalls of only 39 patients in primary health centre in 2006 . Now, it has gone beyond 11,600 average monthly whereas there are now 12 medical colleges and 27 more coming up. The PMCH will have a 5,400-bed facility while we have added 2,500 beds in old medical colleges and hospitals. IGIMS too will have a 3,000-bed facility as per expansion,” CM Kumar said, adding that the road sector had undergone a transformation with all rural interiors being connected and it’s now possible to reach Patna within five hours from the farthest part of the state.

On education sector, CM Kumar highlighted that there were now 5.20 lakh school teachers while the farm sector too had witnessed an upswing with foodgrain production , fish production reaching record levels owing to the successive agriculture roadmaps since 2008.

Referring to NDA’s poll promises of generating 1 crore jobs and employment to youth, CM Kumar said the promise would be fulfilled by his government while highlighting how his government in the past five years had given around five million jobs, including teachers appointments covering women and youth. He also talked of the increase in self help groups (SHGs) formed under the Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society(JEEVIKA) stating that the initiative had gone a long way in empowerment of rural women and now, there was also focus on SHGs in urban areas. “ We have also given reservation to women in rural and urban local bodies and also in police recruitment. The representation of women in police force is highest in the country,” Kumar said.

The motion of thanks was attended by members from all parties including the opposition RJD and other INDIA bloc partners. RJD’s Kumar Sarvjeet , in his speech, said the condition of the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital ( ANMCH), Gaya required more attention while also claiming that civic facilities in several localities and villages inhabited by weaker sections including from scheduled castes were far from desired.

The JD(U) and BJP members, however, were all praise for the government’s works and initiatives.The debate in the assembly also saw acerbic exchanges on the “fairness” of the recently held elections. State parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said, “Some of the opposition members have vented their spleen against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Their false narrative of vote theft notwithstanding, the CEC’s fame has now reached far off lands. He now heads an international panel.” The allusion was to Gyanesh Kumar becoming the chairman of Sweden-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA).

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‘Govt to take tough stand against sand, liquor mafia’

Deputy CM and home minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday said the government would take a tough stand against sand, liquor and land mafia while asserting that the state had progressed in all spheres as part of Nitish Kumar-led NDA government’s ‘sushashan’ or good governance model.

“There is ‘sushashan’ in Bihar and the lantern age is over,” Choudhary said, taking a potshot at the opposition RJD while giving the government’s reply on a motion of thanks to Governor’s joint address to both Houses of legislature on Wednesday. Lantern is the poll symbol of the RJD.

Making the government reply, Choudhary also rejected the opposition’s charge that he was out to unleash “bulldozer raj” in Bihar, taking a cue from the Yogi Adityanath administration in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

“Bihar is known for ‘sushashan’ (good governance), which has been synonymous with Nitish Kumar. Bulldozer is not an issue here. My name is Samrat Choudhary and rest assured, I do not stand for bulldozer. Of course, there is crackdown on illegal encroachments, which is as per instructions of the court. Crackdown on mafia will also continue,” he said.

The submission came close on the heels of anti-encroachment drives in several parts of the state, which had on Wednesday led CPI(ML) Liberation to stage a dharna alleging that the BJP, the single largest party in assembly, was bringing Yogi’s “bulldozer model” to the state.

Choudhary’s apparently conciliatory note came minutes after fellow Dy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha had engaged in a spat with members of the RJD, the main party in the opposition, accusing it of “jungle raj” while in power. “We will soon run bulldozers on the chest of those who have been patronising sand mafia, land mafia and liquor mafia,” Sinha asserted.

Besides, the deputy chief minister also underlined that health, education and other sectors were high on the priority of the government and there would be efforts made to re-open 25 closed sugar mills. “We have already formed a committee to look into various needs to boost starts -ups, artificial intelligence sector and new tech hubs,” Choudhary said, emphasising that the state had taken big strides in development under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar and PM Modi.

( with inputs from agencies)