Bihar misses distinct push, say experts | Patna News

In the aftermath of the recent Union Budget announcement, economic analysts and business leaders in Bihar have voiced their dissatisfaction, lamenting the lack of vibrant initiatives or tailored investments for the state. Unlike previous fiscal plans that were often designed with electoral incentives in mind, this budget appears to overlook Bihar’s unique challenges.

Patna: Economic experts and roadside traders in Patna were largely unanimous that Bihar failed to get anything “eye-catching” from the ninth Union Budget presented in the Lok Sabha on Sunday with disappointment clearly visible across sections.“There is no Bihar-specific eye-catching point in the Budget. True, there are some statutory provisions and schemes from which Bihar will also get something, like all other states and Union territories, but overall, there was no distinctive announcement specifically for Bihar,” former director of the A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies (ANSISS) D M Diwakar said.Former head of the economics department at Patna University, N K Chaudhary, said, “This time, there is nothing Bihar-specific for the people of the state. To that extent, it is very disappointing. In contrast, some had described the 2025–26 Union Budget as the Bihar Budget due to the plethora of announcements made for the state,” he said, reacting soon after the one-hour-and-25-minute presentation by the Union finance minister.Experts said the absence of Bihar-specific announcements was linked to the lack of imminent elections in the state. “In the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Union Budgets, announcements for Bihar were eye-catching because elections were due. With that over, Bihar has been forgotten,” Diwakar said, adding that other regions appeared to have gained based on political considerations.