Bihar Budget 2025-26: Key Highlights

The Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar presented the ₹3,16,895 crore Budget for the financial year 2025-26 on March 3, 2025. Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Samrat Choudhary highlighted a significant increase in the state’s Budget size over the years and emphasized allocations for education, health, rural development, and welfare schemes. The Budget also introduced several measures for women’s empowerment and employment generation while maintaining fiscal discipline within FRBM limits.

Key Highlights of Bihar Budget 2025-26

1. Overall Budget Size and Growth

• The total Budget outlay for 2025-26 is ₹3,16,895 crore.
• It marks an increase of ₹38,169 crore from the previous year’s Budget of ₹2,78,726 crore.
• Bihar’s Budget has grown 15 times since 2005-06, when it was ₹22,568 crore.

2. Major Sectoral Allocations

• Education: ₹60,954 crore (highest allocation).
• Health: ₹20,335 crore.
• Rural Development: ₹16,193 crore.
• Energy Sector: ₹13,483 crore.
• Saat Nischay-II (Self-reliant Bihar Initiative): ₹5,972 crore.

3. Welfare Schemes for Backward Communities

• ₹13,368 crore allocated for schemes benefiting OBCs, EBCs, SCs, STs, and minorities.
• ₹19,648 crore for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), who form over 20% of Bihar’s population.
• ₹3,303 crore allocated for student scholarships, benefitting mainly OBC, EBC, and SC students.

4. Infrastructure and Rural Development

• ₹15,586 crore allocated to the rural development department (2nd highest sectoral allocation).
• Investments in roads, electricity, water supply, and village infrastructure.

5. Women Empowerment Initiatives

• Establishment of “Mahila Haat” (Women’s Market) in Patna.
• “Pink Buses” exclusively for women with female drivers and conductors.
• Construction of “Pink Toilets” in every district.
• Establishment of “Kanya Vivah Mandaps” in all panchayats to support poor families in organizing marriages.

6. Health and Education

• New Cancer Hospital to be set up in Begusarai.
• Opening of 100+ public healthcare centers in rural areas.
• Scholarship amounts for backward and extremely backward class students doubled from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 per month.

7. Employment and Skill Development

• Expansion of employment generation schemes under various departments.
• Skill training for women in tourism and transport sectors.
• 33% quota for women in the State Road Transport Corporation.

8. Fiscal Management and Economic Indicators

• Bihar maintains a revenue surplus and a fiscal deficit of 2.98%, within the FRBM limit of 3%.
• Public debt is 38.94% of GSDP, within the 40.4% limit set by the 15th Finance Commission.

9. Transport and Connectivity

• Special bus service for women in major cities.
• Flights to start from Purnia airport within three months.
• Three more airports to be completed soon.

10. Political Reactions

• NDA leaders called the Budget inclusive and forward-looking, aligning with PM Modi’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” vision.
• Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav dismissed it as “inflated and a bundle of lies”.