Bihar legislature's budget session from February 26

PATNA: The budget session of the bicameral state legislature in Bihar is likely to commence on February 26 and the state budget would be presented the next day, an official said.

Cabinet secretariat department special secretary Upendra Nath Pandey said the state budget for the financial year 2018-19 is likely to be presented on February 27.
The session will come to a close on April 4, he said.These are tentative dates approved at a meeting of the state cabinet, which was chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here yesterday.

Other decisions taken at the cabinet meeting include state guarantee for a Rs 500 crore loan to be taken by Bihar State Co-operative Bank Ltd from NABARD and other government agencies for the kharif marketing season 2017-18, Pandey said.

The cabinet also sanctioned Rs 782.56 crore for water supply schemes under the centrally-sponsored AMRUT programme which would cover towns such as Hajipur, Bagaha, Motihari, Siwan, Ara, Begusarai, Kishanganj, Katihar, Buxar, Sasaram, Chhapra and Biharsharif, he said.

A sum of Rs 48.95 crore was also sanctioned for the Patna Storm Water Drainage scheme.
Besides, Rs 145.14 crore were allocated for the proposed construction of a cultural centre at Bodh Gaya, as part of the Union Tourism Ministry's Swadesh Darshan scheme, Pandey said.