Bihar Budget: Rs 25,000 to girls who pass intermediate exams

New Delhi: The Bihar government on Monday presented a Rs 2.18 lakh crore budget for 2021-22 fiscal in the Assembly, with no new tax and a thrust on infrastructure and social sectors.

Presenting the revenue-surplus budget in the House, Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad, who holds the finance portfolio, proposed to introduce a separate department for skill development and entrepreneurship.

In the Bihar Budget 2021, the state government also laid out that it will award Rs 25,000 to unmarried women who pass intermediate exams. The government has announced to award Rs 50,000 to unmarried women once they complete their bachelor's degree.

The first budget presented after the state legislative assembly elections of last year primarily focused on augmentation of infrastructure in rural areas of the state and education, which includes setting up of engineering colleges, establishment and maintenance of old-age homes, sports university, etc.

"We have presented a budget of Rs 2,18,302.70 crore for 2021-22, which is Rs 6,541.21 crore more than the total estimates for the current fiscal. The revenue surplus is estimated at Rs 9,195.90 crore," he said.

In his maiden budget speech, Prasad said that the state government made the highest allocation of Rs 38,035.93 crore for the education sector, followed by Rs 16,835.67 crore for rural development, Rs 15,227.74 crore for roads, Rs 13,264.87 crore for health and Rs 8,560.00 crore for energy.

The deputy chief minister said that an allocation of Rs 4,671 crore was made for the second phase of 'Saat Nischay' (seven resolves) programme, which was implemented immediately after Nitish Kumar-led NDA was back in power in the state in November last year.

The budget document stated that all villages in Bihar will have solar street lights installed in them and the state government would set up call centres that will ensure door-step treatment for animals. Also, mobile apps would be launched for ensuring the treatment of animals.

Reacting on the budget, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said that the Bihar budget has the same announcements, plans and allocations that were also in the budget for the past several years. "The blueprint of the alleged 20 lakh employment generation should have been presented in the Budget," Yadav said.