Press Note Details: Press Information Bureau

Rural Prosperity

Empowering villages, empowering Bihar: A roadmap towards a Viksit Bharat

Catalyzing Rural Growth: Central Initiatives Shaping Bihar’s Development

Posted On: 12 SEP 2025 1:26PM

The work being carried out in the rural areas of the country today is also shaped by the lessons and experiences learned from villages.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Key Takeaways

As on Aug 07, 2025, over 73.88 lakh farmers in Bihar are benefiting from PM-KISAN in FY 2025-26.
Over 1.57 crore rural households have tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission as on Aug 07, 2025.
Bihar achieved 100% household electrification in November 2018 through the SAUBHAGYA scheme.
More than 49 lakh rural houses sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G).
More than 1.16 crore LPG connections under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

Introduction

As highlighted in the Economic Survey 2022-23, nearly 65 percent of India’s population (2021 data) resides in rural areas, making rural development a natural priority in the Government’s policy agenda. Over the past 11 years, sustained efforts have focused on improving the quality of life in villages, fostering inclusive and equitable growth, and ensuring that rural India remains central to the nation’s development journey. The vision has been clear — transforming lives and livelihoods through socio-economic inclusion, integration, and empowerment of rural communities.

Bihar, where a large majority of the population lives in villages, has been a key focus of this agenda. Since 2014, the pace of development in the state has gained remarkable momentum, ensuring that flagship national programmes deliver tangible benefits at the grassroots level.

Strengthening Rural Bihar through National Initiatives

Central government is consistently working to strengthen rural infrastructure and deliver basic facilities at the grassroots. Today, Central Government schemes are reaching even the remotest parts of Bihar without delay.

Earlier, rural people spent more than 50% of their income on food and necessities. For the first time since independence, rural expenditure on food has fallen below 50%, reflecting rising disposable income and improved purchasing power.

Livelihoods

Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh - On September 02, 2025, Prime Minister inaugurated the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited through video conferencing and transferred ₹105 crore to the institution’s account.

The Sahkari Sangh aims to provide timely and affordable credit to community members linked with Jeevika. All registered cluster-level federations will be part of this cooperative, jointly supported by the Centre and the State. The fully digital system will ensure direct, transparent transfers to Jeevika Didis, facilitated by 12,000 community workers equipped with tablets.

This initiative is expected to strengthen rural women’s entrepreneurship and expand community-based enterprises. The participation of nearly 20 lakh women in the launch event reflected the large-scale impact of the programme.

PM launches Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited via video conferencing on 02/09/2025

Aajeevika - Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)

Central Government has allocated a substantial amount of ₹6,181.41 crore to Bihar from FY 2014-15 to FY 2024-25 under DAY-NRLM. This significant investment aims to reduce poverty by enabling the poor household to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.
On July 18, 2025, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi released ₹400 crore to nearly 61,500 Self-Help Groups in Bihar under DAY-NRLM at Motihari, giving a strong push to women-led development in the state.
Bihar has set a target to empower 30.21 lakh women to become Lakhpati Didis. As of July 2025, over 20 lakh women in the state have already achieved this milestone, highlighting the success of ongoing women empowerment initiatives.

Infrastructure Development

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) – Over 53,419 km of rural roads and 1,153 bridges constructed worth ₹28,292 crore in Bihar as of September 2024, with an additional 6,285 km of roads and 194 bridges under upgradation worth ₹5,229 crore (Bihar Economic Survey 2024–25).
On August 22, 2025, Prime Minister inaugurated the four-lane Bakhtiyarpur to Mokama section of NH-31 in Gaya, Bihar, worth around ₹1,900 crore, which will ease congestion, reduce travel time, and enhance passenger and freight movement. Further, improvement to the two-lane with paved shoulders of Bikramganj–Dawath–Nawanagar–Dumraon section of NH-120 in Bihar will improve connectivity in rural areas, providing new economic opportunities for the local population.
SAUBHAGYA scheme – Bihar has achieved 100% saturation in household electrification under SAUBHAGYA in November 2018.
BharatNet Project – In Bihar, 8,340 Gram Panchayats planned under BharatNet Phase-I & Phase-II have been made service ready as on Aug 2025.

Housing and Sanitation

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)

There is cumulative target to build more than 50.12 lakh pucca houses in rural Bihar under PMAY-G, out of which more than 49 lakh houses have already been sanctioned and over 38.39 lakh houses completed as on August 04, 2025.
On July 18, 2025, in Motihari, Bihar, Prime Minister handed over house keys to selected beneficiaries as part of the Griha Pravesh ceremony for 12,000 recipients and disbursed over ₹160 crore to 40,000 beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin.
On August 22, 2025, in Gaya, Bihar, Prime Minister symbolically handed over house keys to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G) as part of the Griha Pravesh ceremony for 12,000 recipients.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Gramin) – In Bihar, more than 1.39 crore Individual household latrines (IHHLs) and 9364 Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs) have been constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) since 2014 to July 2025.

Agriculture & Allied sector

PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN) – During FY 2025-26, more than 73.88 lakh eligible beneficiaries from Bihar received direct financial support as on August 07, 2025.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) –

Bihar’s fisheries sector is witnessing significant advancement through 38 unique initiatives with an investment of ₹548.13 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
On July 18, 2025, in Motihari, Bihar, PM launched fisheries and aquaculture projects under PMMSY, including new fish hatcheries, biofloc units, ornamental fish farming, integrated aquaculture units, and fish feed mills — to boost employment, fish production, and rural development in Bihar.

PM-Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) – As of July 2025, over 1.54 crore Soil Health Cards have been issued to farmers in Bihar under the Soil Health & Fertility component of PM-RKVY since the inception of the scheme.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) - Under PMKSY, as on June 30, 2025, a total of 15 projects with an outlay of ₹748.76 crore have been approved for Bihar. More than 28,000 farmers in the state have benefitted from this scheme.
A Makhana Board is being established in Bihar with the objective of strengthening production, processing, value addition, and marketing of makhana. Farmers engaged in these activities will be organized into Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). The Board will also extend handholding and training support to makhana cultivators, while ensuring that they receive the benefits of all relevant Government schemes.
Marking the milestone, Bihar witnessed the establishment of the 10,000^th FPO by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Feb, 2025. The 10,000^th FPO has been registered in Khagaria district and focuses on maize, banana, and paddy.
Financial assistance is being extended for the Western Koshi Canal ERM Project, which will benefit a large number of farmers cultivating over 50,000 hectares of land in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar.

Drinking Water and Clean Energy

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - As on August 07, 2025, more than 1.57 crore rural households in Bihar have been provided with tap water connections under JJM.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) - As on April 01, 2025, over 1.16 crore LPG connections have been distributed to rural women in Bihar under PMUY.

Healthcare

Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) - Under PM-JAY, Bihar has achieved 100% coverage of all eligible families. As of September 2025, more than 4 crore Ayushman Cards have been created in the state. In just one year, this has resulted in savings of over ₹1,000 crore in out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for the people of Bihar.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) - Bihar has also secured the No. 1 rank in the implementation of ABDM
On November 13, 2024, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of AIIMS Darbhanga in Darbhanga, Bihar.

The sustained focus of Central Government has transformed Bihar’s rural development landscape. From infrastructure, housing & sanitation, agriculture, and fisheries, to livelihoods, healthcare, and clean energy—the impact is visible across all sectors.

With the successful execution of flagship schemes, the rural economy of Bihar is being strengthened, opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship are expanding, and basic amenities are reaching every household. The vision of a Viksit Bihar, and thereby a Viksit Bharat, is moving closer to reality.

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