SAMRAT CHAUDHARY CABINET PASSED 20 AGENDA

SAMRAT CHAUDHARY CABINET PASSED 20 AGENDA

8-MAY-ENG 8

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA--------------------------The highly anticipated cabinet expansion of the government led by Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary is scheduled to take place on May 7 at the historic Gandhi Maidan in the state capital, Patna. During this event, the Governor will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers tomorrow at 12:10 PM. Prior to this, a cabinet meeting was convened today—Wednesday—at 5:00 PM in the Cabinet Room located within the Main Secretariat in Patna.

The meeting of the Council of Ministers, which lasted for approximately half an hour, has now concluded. Several key agendas were approved during today's meeting of the Samrat Cabinet. Both Deputy Chief Ministers, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Yadav, were present at the meeting. A total of 20 proposals were approved during the Cabinet meeting. Administrative sanction amounting to ₹15,967.0342 crore has been granted to the Road Construction Department for the maintenance of 19,305 kilometers of roads, utilizing a centralized Command and Control Center and AI technology for road inspection and upkeep.

During this meeting, a decision was taken to allocate 1 acre and 85 decimals of land belonging to BIADA (Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority) to the Patna Airport. This proposal received the Cabinet's seal of approval during today's session. This specific parcel of BIADA land has been transferred to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) free of cost. The land will be utilized for airport-related infrastructure development and other ancillary works. The Council of Ministers' meeting, which lasted for approximately half an hour, has now concluded.

Several key agenda items were also approved during today's Cabinet meeting. Both Deputy Chief Ministers—Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Yadav—were present at the meeting. A total of 20 proposals were ratified by the Cabinet, including the extension of the 'Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package' until June 30, 2026. This extension was granted in view of the keen interest shown by investors.

Furthermore, the State Medical College and Hospital currently under construction in Sitamarhi—the birthplace of Goddess Sita—has been named after her. The Cabinet granted approval to officially designate the institution as the 'Maa Sita Medical College and Hospital, Sitamarhi.' Additionally, approval was granted to allot land in Arwal and Sheikhpura to the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (under the Ministry of Education, Government of India) for the construction of school buildings; the land has been leased for a period of 30 years at a token rent of ₹1, with an option for lease renewal.

These decisions also encompass the 'Bihar AI Mission,' the deployment of 400 electric buses, and the introduction of e-voting in municipal body elections. Under the 'PM-eBus Sewa Scheme,' a fleet of 400 electric buses will be operated across Bihar. Of these, 150 buses will ply in Patna, while 50 buses each will be operated in other cities. These cities include Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, and Purnia. Sanction has been granted for an amount of ₹517.16 crore for this scheme. This scheme will remain in force for a period of 12 years. It is expected to reduce pollution and facilitate improved traffic management. Furthermore, an e-voting facility will be introduced for the 2026 municipal elections.

This facility will be of particular benefit to senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Voters residing outside of Bihar will also be able to avail themselves of this service. The initiative is estimated to incur an expenditure of approximately ₹31.45 lakh. This measure will enhance the transparency of the voting process. It is worth noting that during the first cabinet meeting held on April 22, a total of 22 agenda items were approved; the most significant decision among them was the development of townships at 11 locations across Bihar. Subsequently, a total of 64 agenda items were approved in the following cabinet meeting, while 20 agenda items were approved in the cabinet meeting held today.