Patna, Aug 21 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary met Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday to discuss several issues concerning the state’s development and financial interests.
The meeting, held at Kartavya Bhawan at around 11 a.m., was also attended by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Janata Dal-United National Working President Sanjay Jha.
According to CM Samrat Choudhary, the discussions covered India-Nepal water and dam projects, budgetary matters, tourism development, and other issues related to Bihar’s interests.
Sharing photos of the meeting on social media platform X, Chief Minister Choudhary said the discussions were aimed at strengthening coordination with the Centre and advancing matters related to Bihar’s development, prosperity and public welfare.
The meeting assumes significance amid the Bihar government’s efforts to secure greater financial support from the Centre for major infrastructure and development projects.
Several schemes and projects in the state require substantial Central funding, while the Bihar government is also seeking additional assistance for ongoing and proposed initiatives.
Among the issues likely to be significant is the Kosi-Mechi River Interlinking Project, under which Bihar currently bears a portion of the project cost.
The state is also pursuing several major expressway and infrastructure projects and is expected to seek the timely release of funds for their implementation.
However, any specific request for additional funding made during Friday’s meeting has not been officially confirmed.
The meeting was Samrat Choudhary’s first reported visit to Delhi following the Bankipur by-election and comes at a time when the Bihar government is focusing heavily on Central assistance for infrastructure, irrigation, tourism and other development programmes.
Before meeting the Union Ministers, Chief Minister Choudhary visited the residence of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinod Tawde and congratulated him on his reappointment as the party’s National General Secretary and Uttar Pradesh In-charge.
Choudhary praised Tawde’s organisational leadership and expressed confidence that he would help the party achieve further success.
The Delhi visit and the meetings with senior Central leaders are being viewed as an important exercise in Centre-state coordination, particularly as Bihar seeks greater financial and institutional support for its ambitious development agenda.
–IANS
ajk/khz