Focus on education, healthcare, infrastructure in Bihar’s Rs 2.11 lakh crore budget

Presenting the Bihar budget with a revenue surplus of Rs 19,172.80 crore, Sushil Modi said the Assembly that the proposed allocations made for 2020-21 are Rs 11,260.48 crore more than that what was earmarked for current fiscal.

The Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday (February 25) presented a Rs 2.11 lakh crore budget for 2020-21 for Bihar, with a special focus on education, health and infrastructure.

The budget was presented by Finance Minister and Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi. Presenting the budget with a revenue surplus of Rs 19,172.80 crore, Sushil Modi said the Assembly that the proposed allocations made for 2020-21 are Rs 11,260.48 crore more than that what was earmarked for current fiscal.

Sushil Modi said in his budget speech that the state's budget has increased eight times and touched Rs 2,11,761.49 crore in 2020-21 from Rs 23,885 crore in 2004-05.

Laying special emphasis on the education sector, the state government has made the highest allocation of Rs 35,191.05 crore. A total of Rs 17,345 crore was allocated for road building and Rs 10,937.68 crore was set aside in the budget for healthcare.

Sushil Modi also noted that except for 2012-13, Bihar has been presenting a revenue surplus budget since 2008-09.

The Budget session of Bihar Assembly started on Monday (February 24) with the address of Governor Phagu Chauhan to the joint sitting of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.

After the Governor's address, the Economic Survey was presented in the house. There will be 22 sittings during the session, which is scheduled to end on March 31.