PATNA, Sept. 21 -- Bihar's deputy chief minister and finance minister Samrat Chaudhary on Saturday urged for a fairer allocation of India's corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, emphasising that states like Bihar should receive shares proportional to their population. Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of what is poised to become the world's largest eye care center - a 1,000-bed community facility by Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital in Mastichak village, Saran district - Chaudhary highlighted that the national CSR pool stands at around Rs.40,000 crore. "As per the revenue share from central funds, Bihar deserves 10% of the total CSR funding," he asserted, appealing to entrepreneurs to invest generously in the state. He credited the visionary leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar for creating a pro-investor environment, noting massive economic changes, including the provision of 50 lakh jobs so far and plans for 1 crore more in the next five years. The ceremonial bhumi pujan, held on the auspicious birth anniversary of Mata Bhagwati Devi from the Gayatri Parivar, marked a milestone for Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital. Chaudhary unveiled the foundation plaque at the site, where the new center is expected to be completed by March 2027 and assured free land to open eye hospitals at Purnea, Bhagalpur and Bhojpur shortly. Boasting 19 operation theaters and 50 eye examination rooms, the facility will have an annual capacity for 5-6 lakh eye surgeries - majority of them free of cost, with primary support from the Sankara Eye Foundation, USA. Once operational, the existing 500-bed hospital in Mastichak will shift focus to super-specialty eye care, expanding daily outpatient department (OPD) services from 700 to 1,200 patients. Chaudhary praised Akhand Jyoti's "unique work" in a state like Bihar and pledged state government support, including land for further expansions. During the event, he presented a medicine kit to young Tanya, a child successfully treated for congenital cataracts at the hospital free of cost. Other dignitaries echoed the sentiment of progress and collaboration. State information and technology minister Krishna Kumar Mantu reflected on the hospital's humble beginnings, stating, "What started in a single room of a temple pond has grown into this vast eye hospital." Sankara Eye Foundation's chief trustee Radhakrishnan Sundar highlighted their partnership, noting that "60,000 donors are supporting our efforts to eradicate curable blindness in India." India's chief economic advisor Anantha Nageswaran emphasized the broader impact, saying, "The success and expansion of Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital are essential for a developed India." Singapore-based senior advisor Jayesh Parekh spotlighted the hospital's "Football to Eyeball" program as its foundational pillar, underscoring its role in women's empowerment. The event was moderated by Chhaya, with thanks given by Abhishek Kumar, and attended by trustees like Atul Kumar, advisory board chairman Ravikant, advisory board member Shashi Sinha, clinical advisory board chairman Dr Rajvardhan Azad, medical director Dr Ajit Poddar, and other notables including Bihar Chamber of Commerce president Subhash Patwari. Akhand Jyoti's co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Mritunjay Tiwari outlined ambitious expansions: new 50,000-surgery-capacity hospitals in Bhojpur and Bhagalpur districts of Bihar, plus upgrades in Purnia, Samastipur, and Ballia (Uttar Pradesh). This will push the organization's total annual surgery capacity beyond 5 lakh, aligning with its mission to eliminate curable blindness through affordable, accessible, and sustainable eye care in low-income regions. The roots of Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital trace back to a spiritual directive in 1988, when Mata Bhagwati Devi instructed Pandit Rameshchandra Shukla at Shantikunj in Haridwar to "Ja, aankh bana" (Go, treat eyes). A Mastichak native and devoted disciple of Gayatri Parivar founder Acharya Shriram Sharma, Shukla began organising eye camps during Navratri in 1991 at the local Gayatri Shaktipeeth. Operated by the Yug Rishi Shriram Sharma Acharya Charitable Trust, the formal hospital launched in December 2005 with just 10 beds in a temple. Under the visionary leadership of Tiwari, a former footballer turned social entrepreneur, the institution transformed dramatically. His epiphany came from witnessing a blind farmer's plight, fuelling his drive to combat preventable blindness in rural Bihar. Starting with 1,000 free surgeries in a modest setup, Akhand Jyoti has grown to perform 1.45 lakh surgeries in the last financial year, projecting 1.80 lakh this year. Today, it operates over 700 beds across facilities: two in Mastichak (200 and 500 beds), 40-bed hospitals in Samastipur, Purnia and Ballia, plus 42 vision centers in Bihar....