Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on September 1 announced that work to restart the closed sugar mill in Motihari would begin soon, while unveiling a series of projects aimed at strengthening infrastructure, education, healthcare, fisheries and tourism in East Champaran.
Choudhary inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 145 development schemes worth around Rs 285 crore at the Bapudham Mahotsav in Motihari.
The Tourism Department-organised festival began at Gandhi Maidan and will continue until September 3.
Sugar Mill Revival, New Medical College
The chief minister announced that a medical college would be constructed in Bariarpur and that work on a planetarium in Motihari would begin soon.
A Kendriya Vidyalaya earlier planned for Piprakothi will now be constructed in Bariarpur following public demand. An indoor stadium will also be built at Nehru Stadium, where the Kendriya Vidyalaya was earlier proposed.
Choudhary also announced the construction of a Matsya Samriddhi cluster and fish processing plant, along with an aquaculture park at Kothia in Tetariya block.
An Atal Kala Bhavan will be established in Motihari to promote art and culture. The government also plans to set up a Mother Dairy plant larger than the existing facility in Motihari.
Road And Drainage Projects
A road and drainage network, described as a Marine Drive project, will be developed along the banks of Motijheel.
The proposed stretch will connect the Rowing Club with Chiknighat-Agarwa through the Power House, Sugar Mill, Shiva Temple and the orphanage.
The 3.2-km stretch between Raghunathpur Bridge and Balganga on the Motihari-Turkauliya-Govindganj route will be widened and strengthened.
The 17-km road from Pipra on NH-27 to Rajpur Chowk via Kalyanpur will also be widened and strengthened. The Sheetalpur-Ramdiha road, passing through the newly established or under-construction medical college, will undergo similar work.
The government will also widen and strengthen major roads leading to the Areraj Temple.
Bihar To Get New NSD Campus
Choudhary welcomed the Central Government’s approval for a new campus of the National School of Drama in Bihar.
He said the Bihar government would provide suitable land for the campus and bear 50% of the approved construction cost as the state’s share.
The campus is expected to provide theatre training, stagecraft and research opportunities to students and artists within Bihar.
Grievance Redressal Camp
Before the main event, Choudhary inspected a Sahyog Shivir at Gandhi Maidan, where departments including Revenue and Land Reforms, Social Welfare and Rural Development had set up stalls.
He directed officials to ensure that applications received through the camp were disposed of within 30 days.
During the event, eligible beneficiaries received homestead land deeds under Abhiyan Basera, while battery-operated tricycles were distributed to differently abled beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Sambal Yojana.
A symbolic Rs 211 crore was also handed over to Jeevika self-help groups through bank linkages, covering 9,214 groups.
Jobs, Women’s Employment And Education
The chief minister said around seven lakh applications had been received through Bihar’s Sahyog Karyakram, with more than 96% resolved so far.
He said the government was targeting the distribution of ration cards to one crore eligible people and claimed that 35 lakh people had received ration cards in the previous two months.
Choudhary said the government aimed to create government jobs and employment opportunities for one crore people before the 2030 elections through industrial development and recruitment.
He also highlighted the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, under which the government aims to support 1.81 crore women in becoming economically self-reliant.
The government plans to provide women with financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh through startups and promote livestock activities through the Pashu Sakhi initiative.
For higher education, the chief minister announced a monthly scholarship of Rs 10,000 for female PhD students for four years.
He said around 4,600 students were currently pursuing PhDs in Bihar and that the scholarship was intended to encourage greater participation of women in higher education.
The state has also launched 700 model schools, known as Saraswati Vidya Niketan, with online teaching facilities and arrangements for JEE and NEET preparation.
Choudhary said academic operations had begun in 211 degree colleges simultaneously on July 15, 2026, taking degree-level education closer to students at the block level.
Flood Management And Infrastructure
Referring to rising water levels in the Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati and Ganga rivers, Choudhary said the state was facing a flood-like situation and that the government was working on flood and water management.
He said irrigation coverage in Bihar had increased from around 21 lakh hectares in 2005 to nearly 44 lakh hectares currently.
The chief minister also said airports were being developed in Valmikinagar, Muzaffarpur and Raxaul, with land acquisition for the Raxaul airport already completed. Motihari would be connected through helicopter services, he added.
In East Champaran, an athletics track is being constructed in Chiraiya, while renovation work is under way at Lakshmi Narayan Dubey College and sports infrastructure is being developed at Munshi Singh College.
Focus On Champaran’s Heritage
Choudhary said the projects would strengthen tourism, education, healthcare, sports, agriculture, fisheries, industry, art and culture and infrastructure in Motihari and the wider East Champaran district.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s association with Champaran, he said the Bapudham Mahotsav would provide a platform to showcase the region’s historical and cultural heritage.
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and East Champaran MP Radha Mohan Singh also addressed the gathering.
The event was attended by Tourism Minister Kedar Prasad Gupta, MP Sanjay Jaiswal, MLAs, MLCs, senior state government officials and representatives of the district administration.
