Patna: The final day of the winter session of the Bihar Assembly on Friday saw heated debates over the state’s second supplementary budget of Rs 91,000 crore, with exchanges between the ruling party and opposition escalating into accusations of financial mismanagement and historical corruption.
Responding on behalf of the government, Minister Shrawon Kumar criticised opposition members for allegedly undermining welfare schemes for women. “They used to say about the amount given to women, ‘There will be interest on it, and it will have to be returned.’ They did not succeed; they failed. They insult mothers and sisters instead of running the scheme,” Kumar said. He added that the Chief Minister’s earlier advice to “speak less” had been ignored by the opposition, leaving them “reduced to 35” in strength.
The session also saw references to the fodder scam, with Minister Bijendra Yadav defending the government’s fiscal record. “Even after the division of Bihar, it was said that Bihar was left with only sand, flour, and potatoes. What will we eat now?” Yadav said, highlighting that the state budget had increased from Rs 25,000-26,000 crore to Rs 3 lakh crore under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. “There was no fodder or sand scam during Nitish Kumar’s government,” he added, prompting protests from opposition MLAs.
The opposition, led by RJD MLA Alok Mehta, criticised the supplementary budget as a symptom of financial mismanagement. “A supplementary budget is required when serious work is not done in the regular budget,” Mehta said. He questioned the government’s allocation of funds, noting that the budget offered limited support for women’s welfare, education, and health. “How will it provide Rs 2 lakh to each woman when there are over six crore women in Bihar? Why only 1.5 crore?” he asked.
Mehta also raised concerns about urban infrastructure, highlighting that more than 40 lakh residents live in slums without road connectivity or basic utilities. “There are many neighbourhoods without pipelines,” he said, stressing the need for improved governance.
The assembly proceedings were eventually adjourned indefinitely, leaving key discussions on development and fiscal planning unresolved.
