Patna: Bihar’s newly appointed Urban Development and Housing Minister, Nitin Nabin, formally took charge of the department on Monday, outlining an ambitious agenda to raise the state’s urbanisation levels and expand planned development over the next five years.
Nabin arrived at the department headquarters in Patna’s Vikas Bhawan at 3pm, where he was received by senior officials including the department secretary, Abhay Kumar Singh, BUIDCO managing director Animesh Kumar Parashar, and municipal commissioner Yashpal Meena.
Speaking after assuming office, Nabin said he was grateful to the chief minister and cabinet for entrusting him with what he described as a portfolio “directly linked to people’s quality of life, urban amenities, and future infrastructure”. He said the government’s priority would be to ensure development that is “safe, clean, modern and accessible”.
The minister announced plans to develop several satellite townships to ease congestion in major cities. Nine commissionerate towns, including Sitamarhi and Sonpur, have been identified for this expansion, with proposals for roads, parks, playgrounds and community centres already receiving departmental consent.
Nabin said the government aimed to bring Bihar’s urbanisation rate closer to the national average, adding that new urban local bodies, improved drainage, better transport links and strengthened waste management systems would be central to this push.
He also pledged to expand smart city initiatives, enhance water supply, protect green spaces and improve sanitation. Housing for low- and middle-income groups would be prioritised, he said, with a promise to simplify procedures and increase transparency in government schemes.
On traffic management, Nabin said the department would work on new routes, parking facilities and public transport, while addressing encroachments. Scientific solutions for waste disposal, sewerage and drainage would be pursued to improve overall urban hygiene.
He added that public participation would be increased through strengthened helplines, online portals and grievance redressal systems.
