Geo-Spatial Analytics Mandatory for ₹50-Crore Projects: Bihar Chief Secretary at BIRSAC Review Meet

A review meeting of the Bihar Remote Sensing Application Centre (BIRSAC) was held today under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Shri Pratyaya Amrit . The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner Shri Mihir Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department of Science, Technology & Technical Education Dr. Pratima, and senior officials including Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Secretaries of various departments.

During the meeting, the departmental Secretary presented BIRSAC’s ongoing activities, highlighting the BIRSAC’s role in creating geo-spatial inventories of natural resources and departmental assets, providing spatial data for state-level planning and development, supporting disaster monitoring and management, and building village-level geo-spatial databases.

The Chief Secretary directed all departments to ensure systematic and comprehensive utilization of BIRSAC’s geo-spatial services. Under the State’s BIRSAC Geo-Spatial Service Usage Policy, geo-spatial analytics will now be a mandatory component in the DPRs of infrastructure projects costing ₹50 crore or more. Departments availing these services will pay only 0.25% of the total project cost, ensuring institutional sustainability without imposing additional financial burden on the State.

The Chief Secretary emphasized that integration of BIRSAC’s geo-spatial capabilities into infrastructure planning is essential to make development projects scientific, data-driven, and future-ready. Departments were instructed to incorporate geo-spatial inputs at the planning stage itself to avoid technical, administrative, and land-related obstacles at later stages.

It was also clarified that technical approval from BIRSAC will now be mandatory before granting financial sanction to DPRs of projects exceeding ₹50 crore. All departments were directed to strictly comply with this provision.

The Secretary informed that, in collaboration with Bhaskaracharya Institute of Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG-N), a digital tool is being developed to support DPR preparation. The tool will use departmental data available on the PM Gati Shakti Portal to assist in project planning, alignment, and assessment, ensuring more accurate DPRs.

Officials agreed that this system will prevent duplication of work, reduce costs, and enable early identification of potential obstacles, such as land, forest, and cross-drainage issues. The system will also support disaster management and monitoring of activities such as stubble burning. Departments can leverage these services as needed.

The Chief Secretary directed departments to provide regular updates on project progress through the portal and strengthen inter-departmental coordination. He appreciated BIRSAC’s work and urged further enhancement of the Centre’s technical and human resource capacities.