Consider the following states and answer the question given below:

Question

Consider the following states and answer the question given below:

i. West Bengal

ii. Andhra Pradesh

iii. Assam

iv. Bihar

v. Sikkim

vi. Arunachal Pradesh

vii. Odisha

Which of the above states are covered under the Government of India's 'Purvodaya' Plan as announced in the Union Budget 2024?

1. A. ii, iv, vi and vii
2. B. i, ii, iv and vii (Correct answer)
3. C. i, iii, v and vi
4. D. i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi and vii

Correct Answer

Option B — i, ii, iv and vii

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is i, ii, iv and vii.

Key Points

• The Purvodaya plan, announced in the Union Budget 2024-25, covers five eastern states:
  • Bihar (iv)
  • Jharkhand
  • West Bengal (i)
  • Odisha (vii)
  • Andhra Pradesh (ii)
• Of the states listed in the question, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha are covered, giving option B. Jharkhand, the fifth member, does not appear among the options.
• Assam, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are not part of Purvodaya — they fall under north-eastern development programmes instead.

Additional Information

• The stated aim of Purvodaya is the all-round development of the eastern region, covering human resource development, infrastructure and the generation of economic opportunities, so that the region becomes an engine of national growth — the Budget described the goal as making the east a driver of *Viksit Bharat*.
• Specific commitments announced under or alongside it included support for the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor with an industrial node at Gaya; road connectivity projects such as the Patna–Purnea Expressway, the Buxar–Bhagalpur Expressway and a new bridge over the Ganga at Buxar; power projects including a 2,400 MW plant at Pirpainti; and new airports, medical colleges and sports infrastructure in Bihar.
• For Andhra Pradesh, the Budget provided support under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, including financial assistance for the capital and for the Polavaram Irrigation Project, described as the lifeline of the state.
• The region's paradox is the basis of the plan: the eastern states hold a large share of India's mineral wealth, coal, forest cover and water resources, alongside some of its lowest per capita incomes.
• Do not confuse it with the older "Purvodaya" of 2020, an initiative for an integrated steel hub in the eastern states announced by the Ministry of Steel — a different, narrower programme with the same name.