Assembly elections: Betting on industry for votes in Bihar

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is on an announcement spree ahead of the assembly elections in the state. After announcing cash benefits for pensioners and women, Kumar has now shifted focus to generating jobs through industrial development. On Saturday, he announced a special economic package for entrepreneurs willing to set up industries in Bihar.

At present, the government offers incentives in the form of capital, interest, and GST subsidies. On Saturday, Kumar announced that these incentives would be doubled for new investors, alongside fresh measures to promote industrial growth. The state has created land parcels in several districts and said that industries generating a certain number of jobs will be provided land free of cost. However, these facilities will be available only to entrepreneurs setting up units within the next six months.

Bihar deputy CM Samrat Choudhary told ET that the state is ready to welcome industrial houses and has created a land bank of around 6,000 acres. He added that another 4,000 acres would be added in the coming months before the elections. Entrepreneurs can access industrial plots ranging from 25 to 500 acres, depending on requirement.