Bihar to double its per capita income by 2030: Guv tells legislators

The Nitish Kumar government has set an ambitious target of doubling the average per capita income of Bihar in the next five years, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan told the state legislature on Monday.

The Nitish Kumar government has set an ambitious target of doubling the average per capita income of Bihar in the next five years, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan told the state legislature on Monday. The governor was addressing members of the bicameral legislature on the inaugural day of the month-long budget session. He said that the government has set the target of ''doguna rozgar aur doguni aay'', which entails raising the number of jobs and other employment opportunities from 50 lakh currently to one crore in 2030, by when it also aims at ''doubling the average per capita income''. Notably, the promise of ''one crore rozgar'' was first made in the manifesto of the ruling NDA for the assembly polls held in November last year, which saw the BJP-led coalition retaining power with a brute majority. The state's per capita gross domestic product for the 2024-25 financial year, according to the latest economic survey, stood at Rs 76,490, which was among the lowest in the country even though Bihar has been clocking a growth rate of more than 10 per cent, significantly higher than the national average, for more than a decade. The governor, who spoke for nearly 20 minutes, noted that the aforementioned targets have been set up as part of ''Saat Nishchay 03'', the third instalment of the five-yearly seven resolves that the Nitish Kumar government has been adopting to encapsulate its vision for the state's development. Khan added that the government has been committed to the establishment of the rule of law, a reason why it raised the strength of the police force to 1.31 lakh, which was ''much less before November 24, 2005'', the date on which Kumar, the JD(U) president, formed the first NDA government with a full majority. The number of police stations has also been raised from ''only 814 to 1,380'' and ''close to 50 lakh people'' have so far availed of emergency services on offer through the ''Dial 112'' facility, the governor said. Khan also said ''communal harmony has been another top priority of the government, which has, therefore, ensured quick action whenever any disturbances are reported, besides taking up on a large-scale fencing of kabristans (Muslim graveyards), especially those falling in localities with a mixed population''. ''Similarly, a drive has been on, since 2016, for fencing of temples more than 60 years old, which has gone a long way in preventing incidents of theft in these places of worship,'' Khan pointed out. He added that in keeping with its motto of ''nyay ke saath vikas'' (development with justice), the government has been working towards empowerment of women, and the state is now home to 1.40 crore female volunteers enrolled with ''Jeevika'' self-help groups. Referring to the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, rolled out just ahead of the assembly polls, the governor said, ''Rs 10,000 each was given to women for starting up their own businesses. Those who are able to make good use of the money will get up to Rs two lakh each.'' Khan also spoke of an increase in farmers' income in Bihar over the years, and the government's push for health and education by setting up schools, colleges and hospitals across the state. ''Since 2023, 2.58 lakh teachers have been recruited through the Bihar Public Service Commission. In addition, another 3.68 lakh non-commissioned teachers, appointed by local bodies, have been regularised,'' said the governor. ''To ensure better health care, it has been decided to set up at least one medical college in every district. At present, the state has 12 medical colleges. The Patna Medical College is being expanded to accommodate 5,400 beds. Five other medical colleges will have 2,600-bed hospitals. The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences is also being developed as a 3,000-bed super speciality facility,'' the governor said. He also said the state now has engineering colleges and polytechnics in almost every district, and many such institutions are of national standard. Construction of good roads and expressways has made it possible to reach ''the farthest district, from the state capital, in five hours'', and efforts were on to make it even faster, the governor added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)