New Delhi: Bihar managed to yet again get a fair share of central support from the Union Budget on Saturday.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2025-26 announced a slew of projects including setting up of Makhana Board and the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) in Bihar.
She said, “For this, there is a special opportunity for the people of Bihar. A Makhana Board will be established in the state to improve production, processing, value addition, and marketing of makhana. The people engaged in these activities will be organised into FPOs. The Board will provide handholding and training support to makhana farmers and will also work to ensure they receive the benefits of all relevant Government schemes”.
While announcing the setting up of the NIFTEM in Bihar, Sitharaman said this is in line with the government’s commitment towards ‘Purvodaya’.
The NIFTEM will provide a “strong fillip to food processing activities” in the entire Eastern region.
“This will result in enhanced income for the farmers through value addition to their produce, and skilling, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for the youth,” she said.
Moreover, the government announced setting up of Greenfield airports to meet the future needs of Bihar. These will be in addition to the expansion of the capacity of Patna airport and a brownfield airport at Bihta.
The government also announced providing financial support for the Western Koshi Canal ERM Project that will benefit a large number of farmers cultivating over 50,000 hectares of land in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar.
