Budget Speech 2024: Bihar, Andhra Pradesh get big bonanza

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made history by presenting her seventh consecutive Budget on Tuesday and has announced big sops for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh after N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JDU helped the BJP win the Union Elections 2024.

Infrastructure projects in Railways and roadways will be prioritised in Andhra Pradesh, the minister announced.

"Recognising Andhra Pradesh's need for capital, to facilitate support through multilateral development agencies, Rs 15,000 crore to be arranged for Andhra Pradesh for development of capital," she said.

The Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act and redressal of the concerns under it shall be expedited, the Finance Minister said.

Meanwhile, an outlay of Rs 26,000 crore for various road projects in Bihar has also been proposed.  In her Budget for 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Union government will arrange financial assistance to Bihar through aid from multilateral development agencies. The government has announced plans to develop expressways connecting Patna and Purnea, and Buxar and Bhagalpur and another connecting Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Darbanga. 

The government will also set up airports, medical colleges and sports infrastructure in Bihar, she said.

The Centre will also formulate plan 'Purvodaya' for all-round development of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.

Sitharaman further said the government will support industrial corridor for development in the eastern region.

The finance minister also said the government will provide e-vouchers directly to 1 lakh students every year with interest subvention of 3 per cent of loan amount.