Sitamarhi: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 67 development projects worth Rs 554 crore in Sitamarhi district, as part of the state government’s Samriddhi Yatra.
During a programme held in Belsand, he laid the foundation stones for 41 schemes valued at Rs 346 crore and inaugurated 26 completed projects costing Rs 208.12 crore. He also reviewed the implementation of ongoing development and welfare schemes and interacted with members of the public.
Chandoli bridge inaugurated
Arriving from Patna by helicopter, the chief minister began his visit by inaugurating a high-level RCC bridge and approach road at Chandoli Ghat on the Belsand–Minapur road. The project has been constructed at a cost of Rs 7,089.38 lakh and is expected to improve connectivity in the region.
Inspection of Bagmati embankment and school facilities
CM later inspected the Bagmati embankment before visiting Hitnarayan High School in Chandoli. At the school, he inaugurated an environment-themed Nakshatra Vatika (constellation garden) and a library.
From the same campus, the chief minister collectively inaugurated and laid foundation stones for district-level projects and inspected stalls showcasing various development and welfare initiatives run by different government departments.
Review of Bodhayan live classes
During the Samriddhi Yatra programme, he also reviewed the Bodhayan online live classes initiative in Sitamarhi. Launched on the initiative of district magistrate Richie Pandey, the programme enables secondary school students to attend live online classes taught by selected teachers.
Projects announced across departments
Of the 41 projects for which foundation stones were laid, 37 schemes worth Rs 321.93 crore fall under the Building Construction Department. Other projects include one each under the Health Department (Rs 6.30 crore), Minority Welfare Department (Rs 8.85 crore), Bridge Construction Corporation (Rs 7.85 crore) and LAEO Pupri (Rs 1.7 crore).
Among the inaugurated projects, the chief minister opened two Bridge Construction Corporation schemes worth Rs 80.44 crore and five Health Department projects costing Rs 2.55 crore.
Additional inaugurations included one LAEO Pupri project worth Rs 28.94 lakh, three LAEO Sitamarhi projects costing Rs 9.30 crore, two Road Construction Department projects worth Rs 89.32 crore, one Building Construction Department project costing Rs 4.69 crore, six Rural Works Department projects worth Rs 5.79 crore and six Police Building Construction Corporation projects costing Rs 16.19 crore.
Tight security arrangements
The district administration enforced elaborate security measures for the chief minister’s visit. Magistrates and police officers were deployed at the venue and across key intersections.
District magistrate Richie Pandey and superintendent of police Amit Ranjan held a joint briefing with officials at Hitnarayan High School on Monday morning, issuing instructions on crowd control and security management.
Entry after verification
Law and order responsibilities were overseen by the Belsand sub-divisional magistrate and sub-divisional police officer, while the deputy superintendent of police (traffic) monitored traffic arrangements. Entry to the venue was permitted only after security checks.
The venue, entry and exit points, green room and other sensitive locations were checked using dog squads, metal detectors and deep-search metal detectors, with all activities monitored through videography and photography.
