As finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her seventh consecutive Union Budget on Tuesday, special focus was given to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
Highlighting specific initiatives under the Budget for Bihar, Sitharaman said that Union government will arrange financial assistance to Bihar through aid from multilateral development agencies
"We will formulate plan Purvodaya for all round development of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh," the finance minister said.
The government also proposed Rs 26,000 crore for various road projects in Bihar. The finance minister said that the Centre will set up airports, medical colleges and sports infrastructure in Bihar.
Bihar also got the biggest share of the tourism pie. The centre will develop corridors on the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath temple corridor in Vishnupad temple in Gaya and Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya.
Besides, Nalanda will also be developed as a tourism hub. Rajgir will be developed as a major tourism site keeping in mind its significance for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.
The announcements in the Union Budget for Bihar are significant as the state will go to polls next year. Amid dwindling popularity of Chief Minitser Nitish Kumar, the BJP will hope that the new announcements will give much-needed push to the BJP-JDU combine in the state elections.
Development of Amravati as Andhra Pradesh's capital
Sitharaman also announced that Rs 15,000 crore will be allocated for development of Amravati as Andhra Pradesh's capital. “Money to be raised from multilateral funding agencies and routed through the Centre,” she said.
Besides, the Centre allocated over Rs 3 lakh crore for schemes benefiting women and girls and stated that it is fully committed for completion and financing of Polavaram irrigation project.
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Sitharaman further said under the AP Reorganisation Act, for promoting industrial developments, funds will be provided for essential infrastructure such as water, power, railways, and roads and also grants for backward regions of Rayalaseema, Prakasam North coastal Andhra Pradesh, as stated in the Act will be provided.
The special attention to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar is significant as Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal (United) had emerged as kingmaker allies in the NDA coalition post the Lok Sabha elections.
(With PTI inputs)
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