Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025, the second full budget of Modi 3.0 on Saturday which led to significant announcements for Bihar, including the formation of a Makhana Board which not only economic impetus to Bihar but also carries a strong political message.
The announcement for the formation of the Makhana Board made ahead of the assembly election later this year targets the Mallah community of the state, which is also among the disadvantaged communities and has emerged in farming and harvesting makhana.
Bihar produces approximately 90 per cent of India’s makhana, with cultivation primarily in the riverine belts of North Bihar, from Sitamarhi-Madhubani to Supaul-Kishanganj. The Mallah community represents nearly 2.6 per cent of the state’s population and manages most of the farming and harvesting of Makhana. The formation of the Makhana board enhances the Makhana industry and could significantly boost their economic well-being.
“The demand for makhana is rising internationally and Bihar is the largest producer of the seed in the country. It will not only give much-needed impetus to the makhana industry in Bihar but will also help its farmers who come from the impoverished community of fishermen. Since it is a labour-intensive industry, it will also create jobs for the community,” JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha told The Indian Express.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allied with the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), led by Mukesh Sahani, who hails from the Mallah community. However, VIP parted ways with the BJP and joined the hands of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) contesting three seats as part of the INDIA bloc of opposition parties in recent Lok Sabha elections.
The Finance Minister also announced the establishment of new greenfield airports, the expansion of Patna Airport and the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar to provide a strong boost to food processing activities in the entire Eastern region.
She further highlighted the Western Kosi Canal ERM project in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar and said, “Financial support will be provided for the Western Kosi Canal ERM project benefitting a large number of farmers cultivating over 50,000 hectares of land in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar.”
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