Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary hoisted the national flag at the historic Gandhi Maidan on Independence Day with a prayer for the happiness and prosperity of the people of Bihar.

Patna, August 15 (ABN) Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary hoisted the national flag for the first time at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, wishing happiness and prosperity to the people of Bihar. Mr. Choudhary said on this occasion that this day is a symbol of the sacrifice, austerity, and martyrdom of the great freedom fighters who gave their lives to give us freedom. He said that freedom is not just our right, but also a responsibility. He further said that today's Bihar is moving forward with the spirit of "Seva, Sankalp, Samriddhi".

The Chief Minister said that the goal of his government is to provide equal opportunities to every citizen of the state, to make the administration transparent, and to give every individual the opportunity to live with dignity. With this thought, 'Sahayog Shivir' has been launched in the state. This is an important step to reach the administration to the doorstep of the public. He said that through these Sahayog Shivirs, held on the first and third Wednesdays of every month, ordinary citizens can place their complaints and problems directly before the administration. A strict timeline of 30 days has been set for the redressal of public grievances.

Mr. Choudhary said that his government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against crime. Several important steps have been taken for the modernization of the police. He said that under the 'Emergency Response Support System' in the state, facilities like ambulances, police, fire brigades, highway patrolling, disaster response, and women and child helplines are being provided through 1,833 emergency vehicles within an average of 10 minutes. He said that giving top priority to women's safety, 'Abhya Brigade' has been formed in all police station areas of the state and it has been decided to give 5,000 scooties to 'Police Didi' so that they can be deployed outside schools, colleges, and public places.

The Chief Minister said that 27 years ago, the budget of our state used to be very low and at that time 87 percent of the total budget used to come from Jharkhand. He said that for 2026-27, the Bihar government has presented a budget of Rs 3,47,590 crore. This budget indicates the roadmap for the development of the state. In this budget, priority has been given to infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, employment, technology, and social security. He said that with the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Bihar's financial system has become stronger and Bihar has recorded a growth of 16.75 percent in total revenue collection till June of the financial year 2026-27.

Mr. Choudhary said that the 'Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package 2025' has been amended and expanded. Along with this, the 'Bihar Semiconductor Policy 2026' has been launched, which aims to make Bihar a major hub of semiconductor manufacturing industries by 2030. He said that currently, Bihar has more than 100 industrial areas, about 10,000 acres of industrial land, plug-and-play sheds, dry ports, multi-modal logistics facilities, and connectivity to the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. Approval has been given to acquire 14,600 acres of new industrial land to develop industrial zones in each district. He said that the government's goal is to bring an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore to Bihar. He appealed to all Biharis living outside the state, saying that Bihar is your birthplace, wherever your workplace is, return from your workplace to your birthplace and contribute to the prosperity of Bihar.