Patna: Bihar’s government is preparing to frame its 2026–27 budget around a consolidated development narrative, bringing together recent gains in agriculture, health, energy, technology and industry to project what the finance minister described as a “new image of a developed Bihar”.
Addressing a pre-budget consultation on Thursday, Bihar Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the state had made measurable progress across multiple sectors and now needed to integrate these advances on a single platform over the next five years. The meeting, held at the Old Secretariat in Patna, was chaired by the finance minister and attended by senior officials and sectoral representatives.
The consultation brought together stakeholders from health, agriculture, industry, information technology, science and technology, art and culture, sports and tourism, taxation, forestry and environmental protection, and pollution control. Participants put forward proposals ranging from the modernisation of laboratories and promotion of AI-based research to the development of IT hubs, startup ecosystems and an e-waste policy. Other suggestions included improved fire management systems, the creation of a lake research institute and fair remuneration frameworks for artists.
Agriculture featured prominently in the discussions. Proposals included branding and marketing support for mango growers, the creation of a dedicated market for betel leaf cultivation in Patna, and timely compensation for crop losses caused by natural disasters. The agriculture minister, Ram Kripal Yadav, assured participants that these ideas would be examined further. Officials also discussed modernising agricultural markets, raising production targets for pulses and oilseeds, and expanding cold storage infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses.
The finance minister told taxpayers that investments in highways, railways, airports, technology and industry had pushed Bihar into what he termed a “new economic era”. The central aim of the forthcoming budget, he said, would be job creation and the long-term construction of a “new Bihar”.
Representatives from sectors including transport, tourism, pollution control, construction, sports and forestry outlined achievements as well as persistent challenges. Anand Kishore, additional chief secretary of the finance department, urged participating institutions and organisations to submit detailed recommendations by email to inform the final budget draft.
The meeting concluded with the finance minister assuring participants that their inputs would be carefully considered as the state shapes its financial priorities for 2026–27.
