Less than 100 days before Bihar heads into Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Motihari and launched, inaugurated, and dedicated development projects worth over Rs 7,000 crore, making a strong pitch for infrastructure growth, welfare delivery, and political continuity in the state. Addressing a packed crowd, Modi began his 35-minute speech by greeting the audience in Bhojpuri, evoking a sense of local pride and cultural rootedness.
Modi started by offering salutations to Baba Someshwarnath and invoked the historic legacy of Champaran in India’s freedom struggle. He said that the same land that once gave a new direction to Mahatma Gandhi will now shape the future of Bihar. He also drew a parallel between the rising power of Eastern countries in the global order and the emergence of Eastern India as a new growth engine within the country, stating, “Just as the East is rising globally, this is also the time of the East in India.”
Modi reminded the crowd of a statement he had made on 24 April in Madhubani following the Pahalgam terror attack. “I had promised from the soil of Madhubani that the perpetrators would be taught a lesson. Today, the world has seen the result of Operation Sindoor,” he said, reaffirming his government’s firm stance on terrorism and national security.
In a personal and spontaneous moment, a man from the audience presented Modi with a miniature replica of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Modi paused mid-speech, instructed SPG personnel to collect the gift, and asked the man to write his name and address so he could reach out to him later. The moment drew widespread applause.
In what was his sixth visit to Bihar this year, the Prime Minister took a swipe at the previous governments, stating that in the ten years before 2014, Bihar received only Rs 2 lakh crore from the Centre, which he termed political vendetta against the Nitish Kumar-led administration of the time. By contrast, he said, the current government has allocated Rs 9 lakh crore to Bihar over the past ten years — four times more. “This is not just in figures — this money is reaching the poor, being used to build homes, roads, rail lines, and for the direct welfare of the people,” he said.
Highlighting progress under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Modi said more than 4 crore houses have been built across the country over the past 11 years, of which 60 lakh are in Bihar. He added that this number exceeds the total population of countries like Norway, New Zealand, and Singapore. In Motihari district alone, around 3 lakh families have received pucca houses. On Thursday, 12,000 families received keys to their new homes and Rs 160 crore was transferred to 40,000 additional beneficiaries, most of them from Dalit, Mahadalit, and backward communities.
The Prime Minister placed special emphasis on women empowerment, calling it the real engine of Bihar’s rural transformation. He said that there was a time when women had to hide Rs 10 because they had no access to banks. Today, over 3.5 crore women in Bihar have Jan Dhan accounts, into which government welfare schemes are being directly credited. He praised the Nitish Kumar government for increasing old age, widow, and disability pensions from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 and said that in just six weeks, over Rs 1,000 crore has been transferred to 24,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Bihar.
Celebrating the rise of financially empowered rural women, he said over 20 lakh women in Bihar have become ‘Lakhpati Didis’, with more than 80,000 in Champaran alone. He announced the release of Rs 400 crore as part of the Community Investment Fund to further strengthen SHGs and credited the “Jeevika Didi” initiative with laying the groundwork for self-reliant women in the state.
Modi also spoke about the new employment scheme for first-time private-sector job seekers which was announced by the union cabinet earlier. Starting 1 August, youth who receive their first appointment in a private company will be eligible for a Rs 15,000 incentive from the Central Government. The scheme, with a total outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore, aims to support millions of young job aspirants, especially in states like Bihar. He also highlighted the rising disbursal of Mudra loans to support entrepreneurship, pointing out that in Champaran alone, 60,000 youth had received loans in the past two months.
In contrast, he accused leaders from previous regimes of giving false hope while “grabbing land in the name of jobs.” Referring to them as the “lantern-era politicians,” Modi said, “Today’s Bihar is illuminated by new hopes. The people have broken free of their past.” Modi stayed away from personally targeting and naming any leader.
He also claimed that decisive action against Naxalism has led to peace and opportunity returning to previously affected areas such as Champaran, Aurangabad, Gaya, and Jamui. “This is a new India that doesn’t hesitate to act against its enemies—on land and in the skies,” he said.
Modi also spoke about the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana, recently cleared by the Union Cabinet, aimed at developing 100 agriculturally rich but low-productivity districts. Nearly 1.75 crore farmers will benefit, with a significant share in Bihar. He cited products like Makhana, Katarni rice, Maghai paan, banana, litchi, and Zardalu mango as examples of local crops being linked to larger domestic and global markets. A Makhana Board has been formed to institutionalize and support this integration. Modi said that makhana farmers are already seeing better returns because of these efforts.
He noted that over Rs 3.5 lakh crore has been transferred to farmers nationwide under PM-Kisan, with over 5 lakh farmers in Motihari alone receiving more than Rs 1,500 crore.
Several large-scale infrastructure initiatives were unveiled and launched at the event. These include the doubling of the Darbhanga–Narkatiaganj rail line (Rs 4,080 crore), automatic signalling and traction upgrades on multiple routes, and maintenance facilities for Vande Bharat trains at Patliputra. Four Amrit Bharat Express trains were flagged off, connecting Patna, Motihari, Darbhanga, and Malda to Delhi and Lucknow. Modi said the Motihari station is being redeveloped with modern amenities and that these upgrades will significantly improve mobility and economic activity in the region.
In the road sector, Modi inaugurated the 4-lane Parariya–Mohania section of NH-319 (worth Rs 820 crore), and laid the foundation stone for the Ara Bypass and a paved two-lane Sarwan–Chakai road under NH-333C, which will improve Bihar-Jharkhand connectivity.
He also launched new Software Technology Parks in Patna and Darbhanga to boost the IT/ITES ecosystem, nurture startups, and increase digital exports. A series of fisheries projects were inaugurated across multiple districts under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, including hatcheries, biofloc units, feed mills, and ornamental fish farms, aimed at creating employment and enhancing aquaculture.
Modi underlined Champaran’s connection to India’s cultural heritage, pointing out that the Ram-Janaki Path will pass through Motihari’s Sattarghat, Kesariya, Chakia, and Madhuban. A new railway line from Sitamarhi to Ayodhya will soon offer pilgrims from Champaran a direct route to visit Ram Janmabhoomi.
Concluding his speech, Modi accused previous regimes of exploiting the poor, Dalits, OBCs, and tribals for votes while denying them dignity and opportunity. He said his government reversed that model by giving constitutional status to the OBC Commission and launching schemes like Janman Yojana, which is allocating Rs 25,000 crore for the development of the most marginalized tribal communities.
He urged the public to stay alert against the “arrogance” of those who ruled earlier and called on all Biharis to join the resolve to build a new, empowered Bihar, backed by the strength of a double-engine government.
