In the past, the healthcare infrastructure was dismal. Primary health centers (PHCs) were receiving an average of only 39 patients a month or one or two patients a day seeking medical care, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said. File | Photo credit: ANI
Ahead of the March 16 Rajya Sabha elections, the third and final leg of the ‘Samriddhi Yatra’ launched by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from Supaul with a focus on the development of Bihar concluded in Sheikhpura on Saturday (March 14, 2026). Mr. Kumar ended the yatra by inaugurating and laying foundation stones of 716 projects worth ₹ 480 crore in Begusarai and Sheikhpura.
Addressing a crowd at the premises of the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority in Begusarai district, Mr. Kumar said that there would be more development in Bihar in the coming days.
The state government has laid special emphasis on the education sector and several major measures have been taken to reform and improve the education system in Bihar, the CM said.
While praising the work done in the state’s health sector, Mr. Kumar criticized the opposition government in the state. In the past, the healthcare infrastructure was dismal. Primary Health Centers (PHCs) received an average of only 39 patients per month or one or two patients per day seeking medical care.
“Since 2006, comprehensive measures have been put in place to provide free medicines and medical care in government hospitals. Currently, primary health workers see an average of 11,600 patients every month. Earlier, Bihar had only six medical colleges; this number has now doubled to 12,” Kumar said.
Referring to the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as “useless people”, he reiterated that he had abandoned the alliance with them following their misdeeds in government.
“Before 2005, the state of Bihar was pathetic. People did not dare to leave their homes after sunset. The society was plagued by frequent conflicts; disputes between Hindus and Muslims were a common occurrence. I was dedicated to the task of developing Bihar from the very beginning,” Kumar said.
The state government has set a target of creating employment opportunities for 1 million youth in the next five years, Kumar said. The state is making steady progress and more development work will be started in Bihar in the next five years, he said.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Mr. Kumar has successfully completed the task of realizing the vision of development, the foundation of which was originally laid by Shri Babu (Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Shri Krishna Sinha), Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said in Sheikhpura.
“While Karpoori Thakur championed the cause of social justice, Nitish Kumar has successfully brought (to Bihar) the legacy of both the leaders – supporting Shri Babu’s development agenda along with Karpoori Thakur’s commitment to social justice,” Mr. Choudhary said.
Bihar’s development journey will continue unabated under Mr. Kumar’s leadership, Mr. Choudhary said.
Published – 14 March 2026 21:22 IST
