PATNA, Nov. 1 -- In a landmark stride toward modernising municipal governance and overhauling urban civic delivery, Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday rolled out the UPYOG portal under the National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM) at the 'Sankalp' auditorium in the state capital. The unified e-governance platform is set to streamline municipal operations across all 264 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Bihar, providing hassle-free, transparent, and prompt civic assistance to citizens right at their fingertips. After a live demonstration, Samrat addressed the gathering and emphasised the metamorphic power of digital technology in public service. "Today marks a significant milestone for Bihar. The rollout of the UPYOG portal alongside agreements with NBCC will inject fresh momentum into the expansion of our urban development and public infrastructure," the CM said. Underscoring that the convergence of digital technology and modern infrastructure marks a turning point in Bihar's urban development, the CM said: "This portal will fundamentally transform the functioning of the urban development and housing department. Citizens will no longer need to make frequent, tiring visits to government offices. By simplifying complex procedures and bringing absolute transparency, the effective use of technology will empower our urban machinery and make everyday public services seamless and citizen-friendly". The flagship portal is launching with 10 critical modules out of its planned 19 in the initial rollout phase. The modules encompass trade licenses, online building plan approvals, water and sewerage connections, advertisement management, public grievance redressal, municipal finance and accounts, asset management, and fleet operations. Through this consolidated interface, residents across all municipal corporations, councils, and nagar panchayats can submit applications and instantly obtain authorised digital certificates without bureaucratic bottlenecks. Marking a parallel infrastructure leap, the state government formalized three major Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC) in the CM's presence. Under these pacts, an 8.5-acre funded residential housing project will be developed near the TV Tower in Sector-5 by the Bihar State Housing Board. Additionally, an advanced IT hub will come up at Gardanibagh in partnership with the department of information technology, while the water resources Department will modernize its inspection bungalows into high-rise functional towers. The smart governance leap seeks to mobilize private investment, generate steady non-tax revenue for the state exchequer, and anchor a sustainable urban renewal blueprint for Bihar's evolving cityscape, it added....