Centre Promises Swift Action on Bihar’s Demands: Kamlesh Paswan

Fast Summary:

• The Center will release funds for constructing 45,000 km of rural roads in Bihar under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) once the State submits its survey report. The estimated cost for this phase is ₹76,000 crore.
• Union Minister of state for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan urged Bihar officials to expedite their survey submission during a press briefing in Patna on July 9, 2025.
• A joint meeting was held between Mr. Paswan, Bihar Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar, Rural Works Minister Ashok Choudhary, and senior officials regarding rural development projects in the State.
• Pending issues raised by Bihar include:

– Outstanding MGNREGA dues of ₹200 crore,
– Allocation of remaining houses under PMAY for Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs),
– Funding support for construction of 6,800 playgrounds under MGNREGA.

• Bihar has approximately 94 lakh homeless families; this number may increase due to relaxed eligibility criteria under PMAY.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The announcement by Union Minister Kamlesh Paswan underscores mutual responsibilities between State and Central governments in advancing rural infrastructure. The approval process hinges upon timely submission from state authorities-a noted gap currently affecting progress in Bihar’s road connectivity plans. With road projects valued at ₹76,000 crore planned through PMGSY’s fourth phase, the impact on rural access should be important once implemented.Additionally, unresolved issues like pending MGNREGA dues and increased housing demands call attention to resource management challenges while highlighting communication gaps between tiers of governance. These developments not only emphasize administrative coordination but also underline the importance of equitable policy implementation across diverse socio-economic groups-especially as Bihar pushes forward with ambitious initiatives like playground construction using existing schemes.

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