Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 231 development schemes worth Rs. 187 crore in Shivhar district as part of his Pragati Yatra.
Among the projects, a newly constructed Panchayat Government Building in Masaudha Gram Panchayat, Piprahi block, was inaugurated at a cost of Rs. 130.33 lakh. The Chief Minister inspected the building, including its women’s meeting room, library, and Sarpanch office, praising the facility’s design and its potential to benefit local residents and representatives. He also planted saplings on the premises to promote environmental conservation.
The Chief Minister visited a pond constructed under the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan through MNREGA. During the visit, he released baby fish into the pond and commended its construction and surrounding plantations, noting it would provide income opportunities through fish farming for Jeevika Didis. Members of Chameli Jeevika Mahila Gram Sangathan welcomed him with applause.
He unveiled the Jeevika Bhawan in Mesaudha Gram Panchayat, Piprahi, built at a cost of Rs. 15.62 lakh. He handed over its keys to the Jeevika Didis and interacted with them, acknowledging their contributions to women empowerment and economic development. Recalling the initiatives since 2006, he emphasized the government’s efforts to expand self-help groups and encouraged Jeevika Didis to continue their diligent work.
The Chief Minister inspected the Buniyaad Kendra in Piprahi and reviewed its health services, including physiotherapy and exercise therapy. He appreciated the center’s role in spreading health awareness and providing essential facilities. An exhibition showcasing efforts from various departments such as Social Welfare, Education, Tourism, and Science Technology was also inspected.
Symbolic cheques worth Rs. 49.88 crore were handed over to 55,709 Jeevika Didis of 5,580 self-help groups through bank linkage. Additionally, under the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, Gayatri Devi, a Jeevika Didi, received a cheque of Rs. 2.18 lakh as a nursery incentive. Beneficiaries under the Sustainable Livelihood Scheme received Rs. 1.61 crore, and other schemes like Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana and Bihar Student Credit Card Yojana also distributed financial assistance.
Nitish Kumar inspected the proposed site for the widening of the Shivhar-Meenapur-Kanti/Kushahar Devkuli Dham road to four lanes. Currently 20.43 kilometers in length and 7 meters wide, the road will be expanded to 14 meters, reducing travel time from Shivhar to Patna from 4-5 hours to 3 hours. He instructed officials to expedite and complete the work at the earliest to ease transportation.
The event witnessed the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Rural Works Minister Ashok Chaudhary, Minority Welfare Minister Jama Khan, MP Lovely Anand, MLA Chetan Anand, former MP Anand Mohan, Development Commissioner Pratyay Amrit, and other senior officials and dignitaries.
The Chief Minister concluded his visit with an aerial inspection of the Bagmati River Dam breach site at Madkaul in Belsand block, issuing necessary instructions to address the issue promptly.
