On Friday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rolled out a development package of 17 projects in Patna district, together amounting to ₹1,159 crore. The event, organised at Punpun, was a part of the commitments he made during his Pragati Yatra. Out of the total, 12 projects from the energy sector formed the bulk, valued at ₹1,031 crore.
The list of projects spanned a wide range of areas. Roads, bridges and tourism-related works figured alongside major power schemes. Some notable works included the construction of an RCC bridge across the Punpun river, complete with approach roads connecting Samda and Gularia Bigha villages in Paliganj, costing ₹19 crore. Another project set aside ₹14 crore for tourist facilities at the Ular Sun Temple, also in Paliganj. Connectivity initiatives included a road of ₹88 lakh linking Akauna village to the Patna Ring Road, a two-lane stretch of ₹41 crore between Sohagi Mor and Kandaap, and the Lakshman Jhula-style suspension bridge at Punpun Pinddaan, valued at ₹82 crore. Nitish personally inaugurated the new bridge and received a warm response from the gathering.
Energy projects dominated the announcements. Nine new substations worth ₹130 crore, along with 17 33 kV lines costing ₹80 crore, were approved. Expansions of transformer capacity in 26 substations together drew more than ₹30 crore. New lines and reconductoring measures, including 20 fresh 33 kV lines, required another ₹96 crore. Landmark additions included a ₹301 crore gas-insulated grid substation in Bakhtiyarpur, a ₹58 crore GIS grid substation at Board Colony, and a ₹256 crore 400 kV double-circuit line connecting Buxar Thermal Power Plant to Naubatpur. Smaller works included two GIS line bays at Hathidah for ₹14 crore and renovation of the Khagaul grid substation for ₹13 crore.
Nitish also used the occasion to interact with scheme beneficiaries. Pensioners and welfare recipients thanked him for raising support from ₹400 to ₹1,100. Villagers cited free electricity of up to 125 units as a major relief. Women associated with Jeevika highlighted easier access to loans at 7% interest, while Mamta workers welcomed doubled incentives and ASHA workers appreciated a threefold rise in theirs. Public distribution system dealers too acknowledged recent decisions that addressed their demands.
