Bihar CM launches 217 infrastructure projects worth Rs 5,000 crore

Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday launched 217 road and bridge projects worth Rs 5,024 crore, including the 68.5km Dumri-Sarmera section of the much-awaited Bihta-Sarmera state highway, which will act as another bypass road on the south for Patna.

The projects were launched via video-conferencing while maintaining social distancing norms from a road construction department (RCD) event held at ‘Nek Samvad’ hall at the CM’s official residence here.

Another major RCD project inaugurated on Wednesday is the Rs 508 crore bridge at Bangara Ghat on Gandak river in Gopalganj district. The bridge remained in discussion in the political circles throughout the day as a small portion of one of its two approach roads collapsed due to pressure from flood waters hours before the CM opened the bridge for traffic, through remote via video conferencing.

“I have been informed by RCD officials that the remaining part (Dumri-Bihta portion) of the Bihta-Sarmera state highway would be completed in the next few months, as certain obstacles on the remaining portion had already been removed,” the CM said.

“Once the Bihta-Sarmera state highway, a dream project of CM Nitish Kumar, is completed, the heavy and loaded vehicles coming from Varanasi, Mohania and Ara would not need to touch Patna and they can go straight towards Mokama, Bhagalpur, Purnia and Assam by using the new state highways that would be used as another bypass road on the south of the state capital,” an RCD engineer told TOI on Wednesday. He said, the same state highway would later become part of the proposed Greater Patna Mahanagar ring road.

The CM further asked the RCD and the information and IPRD officials to take all necessary steps to inform the new generation about the development works executed by his government in the past five years.

“The new generation spends more time on social media and mobile phones. Majority of social media platforms are feeding them wrong and baseless information about many things. These young minds need to be given correct information. They are not aware what the condition of the roads in Bihar was before 2005,” Nitish said and asked RCD and IPRD officials to take visuals about the condition of roads and bridges before 2005 and visuals and photos of new roads and bridges constructed during our government and show them the difference.