Saat Nishchay-3 approved by Bihar Cabinet

The Nitish Kumar Government on Tuesday approved the ‘Saat Nishchay-3’ programme to bring Bihar into the category of the most developed States. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The CM posted on X, “Saat Nishchay-1 (2015-20) and Saat Nishchay-2 (2020-25) were based on the concept of development with justice and the third edition is the continuation of the same.” He said that the programme includes double employment, double income; prosperous industries, empowered Bihar; prosperity of the state through progress in agriculture; bright future through quality education; accessible healthcare, secure life; strong foundation for modern expansion; and ease of living through dignity of all.

“In order to bring Bihar into the league of developed states, we have decided to implement the Saat Nishchay-3 programme for the coming five years, 2025-2030,” Kumar wrote on X.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, additional chief secretary (ACS), Cabinet Secretariat Department, Arvind Kumar Chaudhary said, “The Cabinet has decided to double the average per capita income of people of Bihar to ensure double employment and double income.”

He said that to achieve this objective, the government will prioritise the 94 lakh poor families identified during the caste-based survey of 2023 in terms of providing employment. This, he said, is in addition to the Rs 10,000 provided to women across the State under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, and the promise of Rs 2 lakh to further support their livelihood.

The CM’s X post also mentioned that a target has been set to create jobs and employment opportunities for one crore youth over the next five years. “A separate Department of Youth, Employment and Skill Development has already been constituted in this direction,” he added.

In the education sector, the cabinet has approved the development of old educational institutions into “centres of excellence” alongside the establishment of an education city, the ACS said.

“In order to ensure better medical facilities in remote rural areas, a policy will be introduced to provide separate incentives for doctors and to prohibit private practice by government doctors,” Kumar wrote on X.

Emphasising on “public-private partnership” in the health sector, the CM said that block-level community health centres will be developed as speciality hospitals, and district hospitals will be upgraded into super-speciality hospitals.

In order to leverage prosperous industries for empowering Bihar, three high-level committees chaired by the chief secretary have been constituted to “develop Bihar as the new tech hub of eastern India, establish it as a world-class workplace, and encourage the state’s leading entrepreneurs and talented youth to set up industries within the state,” the CM highlighted.

A target to ensure at least Rs 50 lakh crore of private investment in the state over the next five years has also been set, he added. The ACS said that in the agriculture sector, work on the 4th Agriculture Roadmap for 2024 to 2029 will be accelerated to increase farmers’ income, and a Makhana Roadmap will be prepared to promote its production and processing.

The ACS also reiterated the Government’s aim of developing modern planned cities and ensuring affordable housing for the urban poor, alongside working on several connectivity projects. The CM, in his post, also said that the Government will ensure ‘ease of living’ for the people through the use of “modern technology, innovation and sensitive governance”.