Patna, Sep 10: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday said development would have real meaning only when the benefits of government schemes reached the last person in society, asserting that his government was committed to ensuring welfare and development programmes benefited every section of the population.
Choudhary was speaking after paying tribute to his late mother, Parvati Devi, on her death anniversary. He also launched the transfer of Rs 1,233 crore as monthly social security pension to 1.05 crore beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer (DBT) from Munger.
Under the scheme, each beneficiary will receive a monthly pension of Rs 1,100. Later, the chief minister interacted with people at Bhimbandh.
Addressing Bihar’s recurring flood problem, Choudhary said the state government was preparing a masterplan to channelise river water, particularly that of the Kosi, Gandak and Ganga.
He said a campaign had also been launched to remove silt from the Ganga and plans were being prepared to channelise the river from Buxar to Bhagalpur.
Referring to the renewal of the India-Bangladesh water treaty due in December and siltation caused by the Farakka barrage, Choudhary said the Centre would address Bihar’s concerns during the talks.
“We need Ganga water throughout the year to meet our drinking water, irrigation and industries’ requirements,” he said.
Choudhary said the Ganga, which is around four km wide at Buxar, expands to 11 km at Patna, 14 km at Begusarai, 19 km at Munger and 26 km at Bhagalpur.
He said plans were being prepared to reduce the river’s spread through embankments and use reclaimed land for developing townships.
On women’s welfare, the chief minister urged women to participate in the ongoing health check-up campaign, citing a recent study which found 63 per cent of women in Bihar anaemic.
He said Bihar had around 50 lakh ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and the government aimed to double their number to one crore before the 2030 Assembly elections.
On renewable energy, Choudhary said Bihar had prepared a 25-year solar energy plan under which five lakh families would receive rooftop solar panels by September 30.
He also announced that subdivisional courts at Tarapur and Haveli Kharagpur would start functioning this month.
The government would establish more ‘krishi feeders’ to provide uninterrupted electricity for irrigation from 6 am to 6 pm, he said.
Choudhary said the widening of the Munger-Jamui road would be completed within six months, while Rs 150 crore would be spent on developing the Munger forest area for trekking.
Referring to the state’s tourism potential, he said, “Jungle mein mangal hoga.”
On education, the chief minister said the government was preparing a blueprint to improve the state’s education system.
He highlighted the ‘Bihar Vidyarthi Saathi’ app and 700 Model School-cum-Saraswati Vidya Niketan institutions, which provide improved infrastructure, live classes and coaching for NEET, JEE and other competitive examinations.
The announcements covered welfare delivery, flood management, water resources, women’s empowerment, renewable energy, irrigation, infrastructure, tourism and education, with the chief minister stressing the need to ensure government initiatives reach people at the grassroots level.
