Bihar assembly passes 2nd supplementary budget for FY21 by voice vote

The Bihar assembly on Friday

passed the Rs 19,370.03 crore second supplementary budget for the 2020-21 fiscal by voice vote.

The passage of the supplementary budget along with the Bihar Appropriation Bill, 2021 will help the government to meet outstanding expenditure in the current fiscal, Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad said.

Prasad, who holds the finance portfolio, said Rs 9,530.27 crore has been earmarked for the annual scheme and Rs 9,399.98 crore for the establishment and committed expenditure in the supplementary budget.

Participating in a debate on the supplementary budget for the current fiscal ending March 31, the deputy chief minister said in the House that the share of city residents has increased to 15.28 per cent of the state's population, following the creation of 116 new urban bodies.

As per the 2011 Census data, 1.13 crore people were living in the cities, constituting 11.3 per cent of the state's population, Prasad said, adding the increase in the number of civic bodies has given a fillip to the urbanisation process.

He said the decision to create new urban local bodies helped people get services and avail basic amenities at ease.

The state now has 18 municipal corporations, up from 12, while the number of municipal councils rose to 83 from 49 and 'Nagar Panchayats' to 157 from 81, the deputy CM said.