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      | Patna, (Bihar Times):   The Asian Development Bank will
    lend about $ 1.45 billion for the development   of
    infrastructure and agriculture to reduce rural poverty
    in   Bihar.
 |  |      According to reports from Delhi the bank would lend
    about $ 250   million for the projects such as
    Agribusiness Infrastructure Development   Project, $ 500
    million for Power Sector Development Programme, $   150
    million for Urban Infrastructure Development Sector
    Programme, and $   300 million for the state Roads
    Investment Programme.
 ADB’s “India:   Country Operations Business Plan
    2008-2010” says poverty would be reduced   through
    increased private partnership in agricultural
    marketing and   integration of small farmers into
    organised value chains.
 
 It needs to   be mentioned that heads of the World Bank
    (WB), ADB, UK-based Department of   International
    Development (DFID) and Japan Bank of   International
    Cooperation (JBIC) had their first joint meeting in
    Bihar in   the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
    in January.
 
 
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