Patna Metro will start running from Independence Day next year, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary informed the state assembly on Thursday.

Choudhary said this in a statement while presenting the second supplementary budget worth Rs 32,506 crore for the current fiscal in the assembly.

The assembly passed the second supplementary budget for the 2023-24 fiscal by voice vote in the absence of opposition members, who had staged a walkout over the alleged irregularities in the implementation of schemes by the Social Welfare department.

Choudhary, who also holds the Finance portfolio said, "The supplementary budget of Rs 32,506 crore will be utilised in the effective implementation of different schemes of the Central as well as Bihar government in the state.

"The fund will be utilised for completion of the first phase of Patna Metro rail project…. Patna Metro will start its operations from Independence Day next year. Funds will also be utilised for development of several projects related to the tourism department, including development of a 'Tourist hub' in Kaimur district".

Funds will be utilised for implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), a comprehensive and integrated flagship programme of the Central government for Universal Elementary Education (UEE), National Rural Health Mission programme, the PM SHRI Scheme, etc. Besides, funds will also be utilised for developing several other infrastructural projects in the state, said Choudhary.

The initial phase of the Patna Metro project includes two primary corridors: North-South corridor and the East-West corridor. These routes have been planned to serve high-density areas and provide seamless connectivity across the city. The North-South corridor will run from the Patna Junction to the Danapur area, while the East-West corridor will connect the Patna Sahib area with the AIIMS campus.

The assembly also passed the second supplementary demand to the tune of Rs 3,028 crore of the state's Social Welfare department for expenditure in the current financial year with a voice vote.

Replying to the debate on the supplementary demand of Rs 3,028 crore, Social Welfare minister Madan Sahni lambasted the opposition parties for their conduct and said, "Opposition parties are against poor and socially weaker sections of the society. This is the reason that even after participating in the debate, they staged a walkout when the supplementary demand was being passed".

The state government has taken several welfare schemes for the upliftment and protection of women, children, divyangjan, old age people and other deprived sections of the society, he said.

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