Bihar budget ‘inflated’ and ‘bundles of lies’, says Tejashwi Yadav

Mr. Yadav asserted that the government is unable to generate revenue but keeps increasing the budget. He also said that forget the modern facilities, Bihar still lacks the basic amenities.

Leader of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Monday (March 3, 2025) termed the State budgets of ₹3.17 lakh crore ‘inflated’ and ‘bundles of lies’.

Addressing the media in the Assembly premises after the budget was tabled by Finance Minister Samrat Choudhary on the floor of the House, Mr. Yadav said the budget is not in the interest of Bihar.

“This time the size of the budget has been increased to ₹3.17 lakh crore. It has been exaggerated. If they had to say it just for the sake of showing numbers, then they could have presented a budget of over ₹5 lakh crore. It is an inflated budget and the Finance Minister read out the speech written with ink of lies,” Mr. Yadav said.

He further said, “The ground reality is that Bihar still lacks the basic amenities, forget the modern facilities. The government is unable to generate revenue but keeps increasing the budget. They are worried about saving their chair and government, but we are concerned about saving and building Bihar.”

Mr. Yadav said that the promises of the previous budget had not been fulfilled. He pointed out that the budget had no mention of opening factories and providing jobs.

“When the Grand Alliance government was formed in 2015, it was announced that stadiums would be built in every block. It seems they do not know the definition of stadium, [since] it has not been built in any block till date. In the budget they said that people will reach Patna in four hours but bridges and culverts are falling prey to corruption. When a bridge collapses three times, no action is taken against anyone,” Mr. Yadav said.

Lashing out at the State government, Mr. Yadav said that the budget did not mention any of the demands he had made on Sunday. Mr. Yadav said that he had demanded ₹2,500 a month to each woman for economic justice, increase in the amount of old age, disability and widow pension from ₹400 to ₹1,500, gas cylinder for ₹500, and 200 units of free electricity.

Citing the figures of NITI Aayog, the former Deputy Chief Minister said Bihar has the lowest literacy rate, the lowest per capita income, the lowest per capita investment, and the lowest income of farmers in the country. Unemployment, poverty and migration in Bihar are the highest in the country, yet the government was making false claims, he said.

Published - March 03, 2025 09:22 pm IST