Bihar Cabinet nod to metro rail in Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur

PATNA: The state cabinet on Thursday gave its nod to a proposal to introduce metro rail in four major cities of Bihar - Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur.
In another major decision, the cabinet sanctioned the proposal of the govt to establish sports clubs in each of the 8,371 panchayats and 151 nagar panchayats of the state.

Cabinet secretariat department additional chief secretary S Siddharth said that steps to introduce metro rail services in Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur would now be taken, even as the work has been going on in the state capital.
"The proposal to have metro rails in the four other major cities had been moved by urban development and housing department. Initially, feasibility report will be prepared, following which money would be raised. Metro rail corporation for the cities concerned would also be constituted," Siddharth said.
As per the funding pattern, 20% of the amount is borne each by the central and state govts, while the metro rail corporation for each city raises the remaining 60% of the fund as a loan from financial institutions like World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Once ready, the metro rail may prove a game-changer for cities in the state. It will provide a fast, safe, affordable, and environmentally-friendly mode of transportation for people. The metro rail will also reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
Siddharth added, the sports department had moved the proposal to form sports clubs in each of the panchayats and nagar panchayats. It envisages properly constituted sports clubs having president, secretary and members in whose name the govt would send money for expenditure under identified heads and sub-heads.
The decision to form sports clubs and playgrounds was taken in the backdrop of the demands made by village youths during the Samadhan Yatra of chief minister Nitish Kumar last year.
Accordingly, each panchayat- and nagar panchayat-level sports club will have its own playground suitable for games such as football, hockey or cricket. The available govt land in the panchayat would be allotted, and if there is no such plot available, then private land would be acquired.
The cabinet also sanctioned the sports department's proposal to create and fill 98 posts required for successful execution of the allotted work.
Besides, the cabinet cleared another decision taken in principle to execute multistorey housing scheme for the urban poor in Patna as part of the govt's Saat Nischay Yojana-2. In the first such venture, flats constructed on the housing board land here would be provided to 750 urban poor families.
The cabinet also took some major decisions in the farm sector like approval of Rs 150 crore to be paid as diesel subsidy to farmers during 2024-25 in case of irregular monsoon, rain scarcity and dry spell.
It cleared Rs 266 crore required by the minor irrigation department for the establishment of 35,000 private tube wells needed for irrigation purposes.
Also, the govt has taken guarantee for Rs 12,000 crore loan to be raised by state food and civil supply corporation for its working capital needed during paddy/rice and wheat procurement during 2024-25.