Explore Business Standard
Around 2.85 lakh more farmers in Bihar are set to get electricity connections for agricultural activities by June this year, officials said. So far, 5.55 lakh farmers in the state have already received electricity connections through agricultural feeders, they said. By June 2025... around 2.85 lakh more farmers, who have already applied for agricultural electricity connections, will be provided connections, a statement issued by the state's Information and Public Public Relations Department (IPRD) said. Upon the direction of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the state's energy department is working to ensure the remaining farmers receive agricultural electricity connections at the earliest, it said. The CM has consistently emphasised the significance of renewable energy, referring to it as real energy'. As part of the Jal Jeevan Hariyali scheme launched in 2019, he has called for comprehensive efforts to expand solar energy adoption. The energy department has begun implementing measure
Rural road construction in Bihar is all set to receive a major boost with projects worth more than Rs 17,000 crore getting the cabinet nod, a top official said. Briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Department, S Siddharth, on Thursday said approval was given for 37 projects of the rural works division, covering as many districts of the state. "These projects include construction and maintenance of 11,251 roads, the total length of which would be 19,876 km. An expenditure of Rs 17,266 crore was approved for the purpose," said Siddharth. A district-wise break-up showed that the maximum number of 706 roads, with a total length of 1,237 km, are to be built in Madhubani, at a cost of Rs 1,221 crore. However, it is Aurangabad that will have the largest length of roads (1,252 km), the total number being 576, at a cost of Rs 1,125 crore. Another district with a significant number of 629 roads is
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hailed the victory of ally BJP in the Delhi assembly polls and lauded the "able leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The JD(U) president voiced his sentiments about the electoral verdict on social media. "Heartiest congratulations for the Bharatiya Janata Party's emphatic victory in assembly polls of Delhi where the people have reposed full faith in the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kudos to Narendra Modi ji for the historic win," Kumar wrote. The BJP won 48 seats of the 70-strong Delhi assembly, ousting from power the Aam Aadmi Party headed by former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The JD(U) had contested the Burari seat as a BJP ally, but it lost to the AAP winner by a huge margin of 20,000 votes. Assembly elections in Bihar are due later this year when Kumar, on the wrong side of 70, will seek a fifth consecutive term in office. The BJP, which is numerically stronger in the state assembly, had been lying
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday lauded the Union Budget 2025-26 as one that was "positive" and would help in accelerating development of the state. Kumar, whose JD(U) is a key constituent of the ruling BJP-led NDA at the Centre, also profusely thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. In a statement, the longest-serving CM of Bihar said the proposal for setting up a "Makhana board" will give a boost to cultivation of foxnuts, for which the state is known far and wide. He also said greenfield airports proposed in the budget will go a long way in improving flight connectivity, which would give a fillip to the state's economic growth.
In an embarrassment to the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Wednesday backed to the hilt the demand for cancellation of BPSC exams held last month. Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is an NDA constituent but not a part of the government in the state, said he learnt about "irregularities on a large scale" in the exams from close relatives who were among the more than four lakh candidates. "Many members of my family, my nieces and a nephew, took the exams. I have learnt from them the shocking lapses that took place," said the Hajipur MP when he was asked about his stand on the Combined Competitive Exams held on December 13. Paswan said he was told "at many some centres, question papers were not available in adequate numbers. So, these were printed after the tests had officially begun. After a short while, these question papers were for all to see on social media platforms like WhatsApp and X". The Union minister lambasted the BPSC authorit
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled developmental projects worth Rs 1,107 crore in Madhubani district on Sunday. Kumar inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 139 projects in the district. He also announced that the state government would urge the Centre to start flight services from the Madhubani airport under the UDAN scheme. The CM chaired a meeting at Mithila Haat in the Jhanjharpur area to review the ongoing developmental schemes in the district. District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Verma gave a detailed presentation about the ongoing projects and schemes, including the Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme, CM Nishchay Self Help Allowance Scheme, CM Rural Solar Street Light and CM Agricultural Electricity Connection Scheme, a statement said. The CM instructed the officials to resolve the issues raised by the elected representatives in the meeting at the earliest, it added. Kumar also inspected the Saksham Anganwadi Center in Durgipatti village of Khutauna block. During th
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor was on Monday arrested for his illegal fast unto death and sent to jail upon refusal to accept bail, granted by a court here with conditions that were deemed "unreasonable". The 47-year-old, who was last week booked for holding 'Aamaran anshan' (fast unto death) at Gandhi Maidan, in violation of a Patna High Court order that forbids any such demonstration at a place other than Gardani Bagh locality in the city, declared that he would continue his agitation from behind bars. Senior lawyer Y V Giri, who is actively associated with Kishor's party, said the bail was granted with an unreasonable condition that Kishor must give a written undertaking, which would have been tantamount to admitting guilt. The former poll strategist, who started his fast unto death on January 2, demanding, among other things, cancellation of the Combined Competitive Examination conducted last month by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), was rounded up along wit
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday ruled out the possibility of quitting the NDA, pointing out that his ties with the BJP went back a long way. The JD(U) supremo, who termed as a "mistake" his two short-lived alliances with the RJD-Congress combine, fondly recalled the backing he had always received from former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "It was respected Atal ji who made me a Union minister. He used to shower so much of affection on me. I never faced any difficulty in getting my proposals cleared, Kumar told reporters in Vaishali district, which he toured as part of the state-wide Pragati Yatra'. The longest-serving chief minister of the state also recalled that it was Vajpayee's wish that "I become the CM" when the NDA first won assembly polls in Bihar in 2005. "So, why would I not stay (with the BJP)? A couple of times the people in my party committed a mistake (by pressing for an alliance with the Congress-RJD combine). I rectified it both times, said the JD(