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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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
