Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Inaugurates and Lays Foundation Stones for 183 Developmental Projects in Katihar District Worth Rs 405.53 Crore

Bihar Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar today attended the program organized at Bhagwati Mandir Inter Mahavidyalaya located in Laxmipur Panchayat of Barari block under Katihar district. During the program, the Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 183 developmental schemes of various departments at a cost of Rs 405.53 crore by unveiling the stone plaque remote. These include the inauguration of 52 schemes at Rs 107.87 crore and the foundation stone laying of 131 schemes at Rs 297.66 crore.

The Chief Minister released the booklet digitally and physically of the list of settlement papers of residential land to be given to poor landless families displaced due to erosion of the Ganga / Kosi River. 5279 displaced and landless poor families under the Barari zone of Katihar district and 353 displaced and landless poor families in the Kursela zone were given the benefit of settlement papers of residential land. In the organized program, the Chief Minister symbolically provided settlement papers of residential land to 10 beneficiaries of landless poor families displaced due to the erosion of Ganga/Kosi. The Chief Minister provided symbolic cheques and acceptance letters to the beneficiaries of financial assistance for housing construction under the state-sponsored Chief Minister Rural Housing Assistance Scheme, Chief Minister Entrepreneur Scheme, Agricultural Mechanization Scheme, Organic Corridor Scheme, Chief Minister Intercaste Marriage Promotion Grant Scheme, Chief Minister Block Transport Scheme, Student Credit Card Scheme, Skilled Youth, program. The Chief Minister provided symbolic cheques of Rs 10.60 crore to 996 self-help groups supported by Jeevika, symbolic cheques of Rs 143.92 crore to 17,702 self-help groups by various banks and symbolic cheques of Rs 3.87 crore for self-employment to 889 families under the Sustainable Livelihood Scheme to Jeevika sisters. Before this, the Chief Minister visited the stalls displayed by Jeevika, the Industries Department, Education Department, Labour Resources Department, District Registration cum Counselling Centre, Agriculture Department and Rural Development Department in the premises of BM Inter College.

Addressing the programme organised on this occasion, the Chief Minister said, "I am very happy to be a part of this programme today. All of you have joined this programme in such a large number. I congratulate all of you. Today, through this programme, more than 5 thousand erosion-affected displaced and landless poor families of the Katihar district are being given residential land settlement papers. Apart from this, the benefits of schemes of various departments are being distributed among the beneficiaries. An amount of Rs 150 crore has been distributed among self-help groups by various banks today. Under the Sustainable Livelihood Scheme, an amount of about Rs 4 crore is being given today to 900 families to start their employment. I am very happy to see this."

The Chief Minister said that today a total of 183 schemes worth more than Rs 400 crore have been inaugurated and laid the foundation stone. This will greatly benefit the people. We often go to different places in the Katihar district and meet people and listen to their problems and instruct the officials to work towards an immediate solution. On 6 December 2022, we came to see the damage caused to the Devda Ghat of Manihari subdivision due to the erosion of the Ganges river. On 5 January 2023, during the Samadhan Yatra, I came here and met the people and became aware of their problems. Till that time, land was not identified to provide residential land to the families displaced by the erosion of Kosi and Ganga rivers, but today through this program, I am feeling very happy to provide the settlement letter of residential land to the displaced and landless poor families.

The Chief Minister said that many people were affected by the floods in the month of August this year, and the government provided them all possible help. Community kitchens, fodder for animals etc. were arranged in the flood-affected areas. Since 2005, when we got the opportunity to work, we have been helping people in disaster-affected areas. Every kind of help is provided to the people after assessing the damage caused by the disaster. From the very beginning, we have been saying that the disaster victims have the first right on the state treasury. In view of the damage caused by the floods this year, we have sent financial assistance of Rs 7,000 per family directly to the bank accounts of more than seven and a half lakh affected families. Help is also being provided to the affected people in other ways. We have instructed the officials to assess the crop damage caused by the floods as soon as possible and provide compensation for crop damage to the farmers before Diwali. He said that keeping in mind the needs and demands of the people, the officials have been directed to establish new block cum zonal offices in Barari, Kursela and Sameli. The people here have told that a bridge is needed near the Devda Ghat of Barari block. We have also instructed the officials for this. I am very happy to be among you today. He said that every area of Bihar is being developed by various departments. Keeping in mind the needs of the people, basic facilities are being provided to them. It is our duty to do development work in such a way that people do not face any kind of difficulty. After we took charge of Bihar in the year 2005, in the year 2007, 22 districts suffered a lot due to disaster. The affected people were provided help in every way. We have been working for the progress of Bihar from the very beginning without any discrimination. Those who got the opportunity before the year 2005 did not do any work for the development of Bihar. In the year 2004-05, the budget of Bihar was about 24 thousand crores. Now it has increased to 2 lakh 82 thousand crores. We built a large number of school buildings in the whole of Bihar. Many works were done for the upliftment of women. All kinds of schemes are being run to educate and advance children. Continuous work is being done for the development of all including Dalits-Mahadalits, backward, extremely backward, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Hindus-Muslims. Before the year 2005, news of Hindu-Muslim disputes were often received in Bihar. Now there is an atmosphere of peace and harmony all around. Our government works in the interest of all, this is the result of that.

The Chief Minister said that twice we went there by mistake but now we will never make this mistake again. We will remain united with full strength and will continue to work for the progress of Bihar and the welfare of the people. All of you participated in this program. Once again I congratulate you and express my gratitude to all of you.

The program was also addressed by Water Resources cum Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Public Health Engineering cum Bihar District In-charge Minister Mr. Neeraj Kumar Bablu, Food and Consumer Protection Minister Mrs. Leshi Singh, MLA Mr. Tarkishore Prasad and MLA Mr. Vijay Singh.

In the program, District Magistrate Mr. Manish Kumar Meena, local public representatives and leaders felicitated the Chief Minister by presenting him a plant, a bouquet of flowers, a garment and a garland of makhana. On this occasion, Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Public Health Engineering and Minister in charge of Katihar District Mr. Neeraj Kumar Bablu, Food and Consumer Protection Minister Mrs. Leshi Singh, MLA Mr. Tarkishore Prasad, MLA Mr. Vijay Singh, MLA Mrs. Kavita Devi, MLA Mrs. Nisha Singh, MLA Mr. Mehboob Alam, Legislative Councilor Mr. Ashok Kumar Agarwal, former Minister Mr. Hemraj Singh, former MP Mr. Dulal Chandra Goswami, former MP Mr. Ashfaq Karim, JDU District President Mr. Suraj Prakash Rai, BJP District President Mr. Manoj Rai, LJP (Ram Vilas) District President Mrs. Sangeeta Devi, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. Deepak Kumar, Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. Kumar Ravi, Commissioner Purnia Division Mr. Sanjay Dubey, Inspector General of Police of Purnia Mr. Rakesh Rathi, District Magistrate Mr. Manish Kumar Meena, Superintendent of Police Mr. Vaibhav Sharma along with other dignitaries, senior officers and a large number of common people were present.