Bihar Assembly Opens Monsoon Session, ₹87,383 Crore Supplementary Budget Introduced

The five-day monsoon session of the Bihar Legislature commenced on Monday with members paying tributes to leaders who passed away during the year, before the government tabled the first supplementary budget of ₹87,383.4 crore for the current financial year.

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav presented the supplementary budget in the Assembly, while Speaker Prem Kumar adjourned the House for the day after obituary references and the budget presentation.

According to the budget document, ₹57,077.95 crore has been earmarked for annual schemes, ₹30,265.99 crore for establishment and committed expenditure, including salaries and related expenses, and ₹39.48 crore for central sector schemes.

Of the allocation for annual schemes, ₹32,707.24 crore has been proposed for centrally sponsored schemes, while ₹24,370.72 crore has been set aside for state-funded schemes.

Among the major allocations, ₹9,335.35 crore has been earmarked for the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), aimed at strengthening rural livelihoods and employment. The government has also allocated ₹3,308.69 crore for the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme.

Additionally, ₹2,732 crore has been proposed to bridge the shortfall in the Centre's share under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan through state resources. Other significant provisions include ₹2,780.94 crore for the Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 Programme and ₹2,100.11 crore for the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0.

The supplementary budget is expected to be passed by the Assembly on July 23.

The monsoon session, comprising five sittings, is scheduled to deliberate on several key legislative and financial matters. Ahead of the proceedings, Speaker Prem Kumar appealed to members from both the treasury and opposition benches to cooperate in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House throughout the session.