Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled a slew of development projects worth over ₹5,200 crore in Bihar’s Siwan, reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to transform the state into a prosperous and forward-looking region.
The announcement comes ahead of the November assembly elections and is being seen as a strategic move to appeal to voters through large-scale infrastructure and welfare initiatives.
The prime minister emphasized the projects would not only accelerate infrastructure growth but also improve the quality of life for residents.
The major initiatives included the new Vaishali-Deoria railway line, constructed at a cost of over ₹400 crore, and a new train service on the route.
He also flagged off the Vande Bharat Express between Patliputra and Gorakhpur, which will operate via Muzaffarpur and Bettiah, improving rail connectivity in northern Bihar.
“Bihar will prosper and play a big role in the prosperity of the country,” Modi said, adding that the state, once dismissed as backward, is now becoming a hub for ‘Make in India’ manufacturing, with the first locomotive from the Marhowra plant being exported to Guinea in Africa.
Modi reminded people Bihar’s deep historical contributions, invoking the memory of Desh Ratna Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan.
He accused previous regimes of turning poverty into Bihar’s fate through corruption and inefficiency. “They never gave the poor access to electricity, water, or housing. Even gas connections needed a recommendation,” he said, drawing a contrast with his government’s welfare outreach.
Modi announced the inauguration of six sewage treatment plants worth over ₹1,800 crore under the Namami Gange programme, and laid the foundation stones for water supply, sanitation, and STP projects worth another ₹3,000 crore.
He emphasized that these works were part of his government’s broader agenda of improving the quality of life for the poor and middle class in the state’s urban and semi-urban centres.
He also laid the foundation for a 500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System across 15 grid substations in towns like Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Bettiah, and Siwan.
“It has become the new normal to announce schemes just before a state goes to polls. The larger question is about their implementation. Several promises were made ahead of the 2020 assembly elections as well, but have all those projects actually been executed?” said Arvind Mohan, a political commentator on Bihar affairs.
In the housing sector, Modi released the first instalment to over 53,600 beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) and handed over keys to newly built houses to mark the ‘Grih Pravesh’ of over 6,600 families.
“More than 5.7 million pucca homes have been built in Bihar under this scheme,” he said, noting that many are registered in the names of women, which he called a symbol of social progress.
He cited the World Bank data that 250 million Indians have come out of poverty in the last decade and claimed that nearly 40 million people in Bihar have exited poverty in the same period.
He praised Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s governance, saying that the state’s transformation is a result of a coordinated effort. “This is not just about statistics. These are lives changed,” he said.
Modi also warned against the return of what he described as “elements of lawlessness and corruption” who are now seeking a way back to power. “They want to grab Bihar’s resources again,” he said, urging people to stay vigilant.