Patna, Feb 2 : The Budget Session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly began on Monday amid heightened political activity at the Assembly premises.

Ahead of the opening of the session, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar and Legislative Council Chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh and presented bouquets to both.

The Chief Minister later welcomed Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on his arrival at the Assembly. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha accompanied him.

MLAs and ministers of the Nitish Kumar Cabinet were present at the Assembly, with members from both the ruling coalition and the opposition actively participating on the first day of the session.

Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav arrived in a wheelchair despite having undergone surgery on his toe. His picture in a wheelchair is viral on social media.

Addressing the House, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan highlighted the development achieved in Bihar in key sectors such as education, health, policing and infrastructure since Nitish Kumar assumed office in November 2005.

He said the law and order situation in the state had improved significantly, pointing out that the number of police stations had increased from 814 to 1,380. The Governor also termed the establishment of medical and engineering colleges in all districts as a major milestone in expanding access to higher education.

On womenâ??s empowerment, he said that reservations in government jobs and other initiatives had delivered tangible benefits to women across the state. The Governor further underlined improvements in road and transport connectivity, stating that travel to Patna from any part of Bihar had become considerably easier.

During the Governorâ??s address, an opposition MLA interrupted by asking, â??When will the NEET student get justice?â?? The Governor paused briefly before resuming his speech.

Following the address, the state government is scheduled to table the Economic Survey, which will outline Biharâ??s economic performance and set the stage for the presentation of the state budget.

The opening day of the Budget Session saw strong political engagement, with both the ruling and opposition benches present as legislative proceedings got underway.

/IANS