Patna: Chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday inaugurated a mega leather, footwear and accessories cluster and a common facility centre at Mahal industrial area in Motipur block of Muzaffarpur district. Built at a cost of Rs 140 crore, the project aims to boost industrial growth and create employment opportunities in Bihar.Addressing the gathering, Choudhary said around 12 lakh people from Bihar travel outside the state for work. The govt aims to create jobs locally by expanding the industrial network and promoting MSMEs and heavy industries, he said.He also announced an architecture university in Muzaffarpur named after Shaheed Jubba Sahni.“The govt’s priority is not merely to receive industrial proposals but to ensure that factories are actually established in Bihar, creating jobs for local people,” he said, while inviting entrepreneurs to invest in the state. He assured investors that their proposals would be examined and sector-specific policies introduced within 30 days, wherever required.The CM said Bihar aimed to develop data centres with a combined capacity of 1,000 MW by 2030, potentially attracting investments worth around Rs 10 lakh crore. A 12 MW data centre set up by CtrlS has already been launched in Patna, he said.He also said plans were being pursued for rapid rail connectivity between Muzaffarpur and Patna and between Patna and Gaya. The proposed links could reduce travel time between Muzaffarpur and Patna to 30-40 minutes and between Patna and Gaya to around one to one-and-a-half hours.Highlighting improvements in power availability, Choudhary said electricity supply in Bihar had risen from less than 500 MW in the past to around 10,000 MW at present. The govt aimed to provide about 10,000 MW of electricity to the industrial sector over the next five years.He directed the district administration to ensure timely land availability for industries. Entrepreneurs voluntarily providing land for industrial projects would receive compensation 10% above the prescribed amount under the existing policy, he said.During the programme, industrial units were handed sheds and land allotment letters. The industries department also signed an MoU with the Footwear Design and Development Institute to promote skill development and strengthen the footwear industry.The CM said industrial clusters were planned for Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga, while an integrated manufacturing cluster was being developed in Gaya. Better connectivity and dry-port-like facilities in Muzaffarpur would help local businesses access domestic and international markets.Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary, industries minister Shreyasi Singh, other ministers, legislators, senior officials and entrepreneurs attended the programme.
