From airport to makhana board, FY26 Budget lines up schemes for poll-bound Bihar
New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI): The Union government on Saturday unveiled several big-ticket plans for poll-bound Bihar in the FY26 Budget, which include setting up of a makahana board, a greeneld airport as well as nancial support for Western Koshi Canal Project in the Mithilanchal region of the state.
In the Union Budget 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced the establishment of a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar and the expansion of hostel and other infrastructure capacity at IIT Patna.
Other announcements for Bihar include the capacity expansion of Patna airport and development of a browneld airport at Bihta.
While announcing the setting up of a makhana board in the state, Sitharaman said, “There is a special opportunity for the people of Bihar. A makhana board will be established in the state to improve production, processing, value addition, and marketing of makhana." People engaged in these activities will be organised into FPOs(Farmer Producer Organisation), which will provide handholding and training support to makhana farmers.
These FPOs will also work to ensure they receive the benets of all relevant government schemes, she added.
Moreover, in line with the “government’s commitment towards ‘Poorvodaya’, we will establish a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar”, said Sitharaman.
Under the Poorvodaya scheme, the government is formulating an all-round development of the eastern region states covering Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
The institute will provide a strong llip to food processing activities in the entire eastern region. This will result in enhanced income for the farmers through value addition to their produce and skilling, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for the youth.
Moreover, “greeneld airports will be facilitated in Bihar to meet the future needs of the state,” she said.
These will be in addition to the expansion of the capacity of Patna airport and a browneld airport at Bihta, she added.
The nance minister also announced support for the Western Koshi Canal Project in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar.
“Financial support will be provided for the Western Koshi Canal ERM Project benetting a large number of farmers cultivating over 50,000 hectares of land in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar,” she said.
Besides, she also announced the expansion of the hostel and another infrastructure capacity at IIT Patna.
During the last budget in July 2024, the Centre announced several big-ticket measures for Bihar, proposing a total outlay of over Rs 60,000 crore for various projects, including funding for three expressways projects, a power plant, heritage corridors and new airports and sports infrastructure.
The assembly election is scheduled to be held in the state later this year.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
