Bihar Cabinet Greenlights Major Development Projects in First Meeting
In a significant move to accelerate Bihar's growth trajectory, the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, approved a series of transformative proposals during its inaugural meeting on Wednesday. The cabinet gave its nod to three landmark initiatives alongside 19 other crucial projects, setting a proactive tone for the new administration.
Satellite Townships with Historical Names
The urban development landscape of Bihar is set for a major overhaul with the approval of 11 satellite townships around key cities. Each township has been assigned a new name reflecting Bihar's rich historical and cultural heritage. The approved names are:
- Patliputra for Patna's satellite town
- Hariharnathpuram for Sonepur
- Magadh for Gaya
- Mithila for Darbhanga
- Koshi for Saharsa
- Purnia for Purnia
- Ang for Munger
- Vikramshila for Bhagalpur
- Tirhut for Muzaffarpur
- Saran for Chapra
- Sitapuram for Sitamarhi
Vinay Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Urban Development and Housing Department, confirmed that zonal and master plans for these townships are currently under preparation. The government has identified both core and special areas for development and has implemented a temporary prohibition on land transactions in these zones to prevent speculation.
Land transfer restrictions have been imposed until master plans are finalized. For Patna, Sonepur, Gaya, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Purnia, and Munger, the freeze extends until March 31 next year. For Muzaffarpur, Chapra, Bhagalpur, and Sitamarhi, the restriction will remain until June 30 next year.
IIT-Patna Research Park: Eastern India's Tech Hub
The cabinet cleared a groundbreaking proposal to establish a research park at IIT-Patna, positioning it as the technology hub for eastern India. The state government will contribute Rs 305 crore as its share of the total Rs 480.71 crore project cost, with the remainder coming from central assistance.
Abhay Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Information Technology Department, revealed that the fully developed research park is expected to generate direct and indirect employment for approximately 10,000 individuals. The facility will host 1,000 Fortune companies under long-term agreements of 20 years or more, facilitating collaborative research with educational institutions.
The research focus areas will include:
- Electric vehicle and wireless technology
- Healthcare technology and innovation
- Advanced manufacturing technology development
- Urbanization, building, and environment
- Agriculture, clean water, and recycling
- Data analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain
- Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 technology
Additionally, the cabinet approved a matching grant of Rs 25 crore for IIT-Patna's electronics system design and manufacturing incubation center, along with Rs 39.01 crore for its phase-2 development program.
Modernizing Industrial Training Institutes
In a major push for skill development, the cabinet sanctioned Rs 3,615 crore for upgrading 75 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Bihar. The state's share of this allocation is Rs 1,192.95 crore. These institutes will be transformed into centers of excellence, offering modern skills training to students with updated syllabi designed to meet contemporary industry requirements.
Additional Cabinet Approvals
The cabinet meeting also cleared several other significant proposals:
- Tourism Development: Approval for transferring 15 acres and one dismil of agricultural land in Gajipur mauja to the tourism department for establishing a cultural and religious center at Tarapur in Munger district. The Coimbatore-based Isha Foundation and Isha Yog organizations will lead this development.
- Hariharnath Temple Corridor: Sanction of Rs 680 crore to develop the Hariharnath temple area in Sonepur, Saran district, inspired by the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi.
- Women's Security: Allocation of Rs 66.75 crore for purchasing 1,500 scooties and 3,200 motorcycles for police personnel to enhance security for school-going girls and women in urban areas.
- Infrastructure Projects: Approval of Rs 172.80 crore for constructing a building in Rajiv Nagar to house the emergency response unit and state data center, and Rs 12.95 crore for fire safety equipment in high-rise buildings.
- Forensic University Campus: Sanction of Rs 287.16 crore to acquire 50 acres in Dumri mauja, Punpun circle, Patna district, for establishing an off-campus of the National Forensic Science University.
- Disaster Management: Approval for ex gratia payments from the State Disaster Response Fund to next of kin of road accident victims.
- Technology Integration: Allocation of Rs 72.76 crore to the IT department for software development and single-unit integration across all departments.
- Airport Development: Sanction of Rs 5.06 crore to RITES for preparing detailed project reports for proposed airports in Sonepur (Saran) and Ajgaibinath (Bhagalpur).
These comprehensive approvals demonstrate the Bihar government's commitment to balanced development across urban infrastructure, technology, skill enhancement, tourism, and public safety sectors.
