PATNA, Feb. 1 -- Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday described the Union budget as "positive and welcome," saying it has been framed with the goal of creating a Viksit Bharat. "This is a progressive and future-oriented budget," he said in a statement. "Through it, the Centre has taken several important steps to accelerate the country's development pace," he added.

Kumar pointed to the announcement of seven high-speed rail corridors across the country, noting that the Varanasi-Siliguri corridor will bring significant advantages to Bihar. He also welcomed the plan to develop 20 new national waterways, including ship repair facilities in Patna and Varanasi. "The expansion of waterways will benefit many cities in Bihar, ease the expo...