Bhagalpur: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 59 development projects worth a total of Rs 301.71 crore in Bhagalpur district on Thursday. The event, held at Shri Chandika Mishri Lal Krishna Prasad Senior Secondary School in Arar-Dhuawe Panchayat, Sanhaula block, included the launch of 43 projects worth Rs 141.99 crore and the foundation-laying of 16 projects valued at Rs 159.71 crore, all conducted through a remote-controlled ceremony.
Key projects include the construction of a 100-bed critical care block at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital and a 50-bed critical care block at Sadar Hospital, Bhagalpur, costing Rs 68.25 crore. Other initiatives announced included sports infrastructure in Navagachia (Rs 24.79 crore), a 220 kV Banka-Goradih transmission line (Rs 43.42 crore), a railway overbridge between Navagachia and Katariya (Rs 41.66 crore), and multiple roads, buildings, health centres, and model structures totalling Rs 56.91 crore.
The Chief Minister interacted with pensioners, members of the Jeevika self-help groups, and other beneficiaries, who expressed appreciation for increased allowances and financial support under various state schemes. Among the measures highlighted were the doubling of monthly allowances for cooks and Jeevika members, increased pensions for senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities, and support for construction workers through the Bihar Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. Beneficiaries also welcomed the government’s provision of 125 units of free electricity to domestic consumers and low-interest loans for women under the state’s employment initiatives.
Addressing the gathering, CM Nitish said the government was committed to comprehensive development across all sectors. “From the beginning, we have been working for the upliftment of all. No one has been neglected,” he said.
The event concluded with the unveiling of a statue of the late Sadanand Singh, former Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, by the Chief Minister. Senior officials and elected representatives present included Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Rajya Sabha MP and JD(U) Working National President Sanjay Kumar Jha, MP Ajay Kumar Mandal, MLAs Pawan Kumar Yadav and Lalit Narayan Mandal, and other dignitaries.
