PM Modi Unveils ₹13,480‑Crore Development Push in Bihar, Champions Village‑Led Growth

Marking National Panchayati Raj Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled out a ₹13,480‑crore package of rail, power, LPG and rural‑empowerment projects on Thursday, declaring that “strong villages build a strong nation.”

Opening the rally with a minute’s silence for victims of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Modi also paid homage to poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar before outlining his government’s decade‑long rural drive: two lakh Gram Panchayats wired to the internet, 5.5 lakh Common Service Centres created, 30,000 Panchayat Bhawans built and ₹2 lakh crore channelled directly to local bodies.

Key announcements and inaugurations

• Rail & Transport
  • Foundation stones and launches for new rail lines and services, including Amrit Bharat Express (Saharsa–Mumbai), NaMo Bharat Rapid Rail (Jaynagar–Patna) and three regional lines (Pipra–Saharsa–Samastipur, Supaul–Pipra, Hasanpur–Bithan).
  • Dedication of the Khagaria–Alauli track and new rail overbridges in Chapra and Bagaha.
• Energy & LPG
  • ₹340‑crore LPG bottling plant at Hathua, Gopalganj to bolster eastern India’s gas supply chain.
  • Power projects worth ₹1,170 crore, plus ₹5,030 crore under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme.
• Women’s Empowerment
  • ₹1,000 crore fresh assistance for Bihar’s women‑led ‘Jeevika Didi’ self‑help groups.
  • ₹930 crore Community Investment Fund disbursed to two lakh SHGs under DAY‑NRLM.
• Housing & Basic Services
  • 1.5 lakh new pucca homes sanctioned in Bihar under PMAY‑G; approval letters issued to 15 lakh families nationwide.
  • Modi highlighted milestones of 12 crore rural tap‑water connections, 2.5 crore rural electrifications and widespread LPG penetration.

Saluting Bihar’s early decision to reserve 50 per cent of Panchayat seats for women, the Prime Minister said the policy has “put thousands of sisters and daughters from marginalised communities in the driver’s seat of local governance.”

He also spotlighted Mithila’s famed makhana: “With its GI tag, national‑level research centre and a dedicated Makhana Board on the way, this cultural staple will now fuel prosperity for local farmers.”

Looking ahead, Modi previewed the India Steel 2025 summit, celebrating indigenous steel used in India’s first aircraft carrier and the Chandrayaan mission, and urging further leaps in strategic alloys for defence and aerospace.

“The work launched today,” he concluded, “will create jobs, empower women and lay modern infrastructure—the bedrock of a developed India.”