• Source:JND

The recent Union Budget has elicited mixed reactions, leaving the Mithilanchal region largely disappointed. Many believe the budget offers nothing significant for the area's development.

Expressing his reaction to the budget, MSU youth leader Raghavendra Raman stated that the recent financial plan has once again pushed Mithila's population of over 60 million to the sidelines.

Neglect Of The 'Mithila Development Board'

He remarked that ignoring the demand for the formation of a "Mithila Development Board" is not only an act of regional neglect but also raises questions about the government's claims of balanced development in Bihar. The oversight of 15% of the population across 20 districts has sparked widespread resentment throughout the region.

Mithila: Struggling With Migration And Underdevelopment

The plight of Mithila and the impact of this budgetary neglect can be understood through these key points and statistics:

Mass Migration: According to estimates, approximately 1 to 1.2 million people migrate from the Mithila region every year in search of employment. In the absence of a dedicated development board, there is no concrete policy for local job creation.

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Decaying Sugar Industry: Out of 18 sugar mills in the region, 14 have been shut down for decades. The lack of a special fund in the budget for their revival contradicts claims of doubling farmers' incomes.

Infrastructure And Natural Disasters: Local leaders including Vijay Shree Tunna, Pravesh Jha, Mayank Vishwas, Chandraveer Thakur, Ajit Jha, and Rajan Jha noted that Mithilanchal suffers an average annual loss of over Rs 800 crore due to damage to crops and infrastructure.

Economic Disparity And Mismanagement

Without a dedicated board, funds allocated for water resource management often succumb to corruption. Furthermore, less than 5 per cent of Bihar's total industrial investment reaches the districts of the Mithila region (such as Darbhanga, Madhubani and Saharsa).

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Frustration Over Missing Autonomous Body

Youth leaders and economic analysts believe that if a Mithila Development Board were established with autonomous powers, the global market value of local products like Makhana (Foxnuts), fish, and mangoes could be increased by up to 30 per cent.

They argued that as long as there is no region-specific board, even a budget of Rs 1,00,000 crore would fail to reach the villages of Mithila. "We have been reduced to nothing more than a vote bank," they lamented.

Demand For Action

The people of Mithilanchal are reportedly not in the mood to accept this "empty-handed" budget. There is an urgent demand for the government to allocate an initial fund of at least Rs 5,000 crore for the Mithila Development Board in the supplementary budget. Failure to do so, leaders warned, would lead to the launch of a region-wide protest movement.


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