Bihar: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved two significant infrastructure projects worth ₹7,616 crore for Bihar on Wednesday, as the state prepares for elections later this year.
Union Govt. clears transport projects in Bihar
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced construction of a four-lane greenfield access-controlled highway between Mokama and Munger. The 82.4-kilometer stretch, part of the Buxar–Bhagalpur high-speed corridor, will be built under the hybrid annuity model (HAM) at a capital cost of ₹4,447.38 crore.
The highway will connect key cities including Mokama, Barahiya, Lakhisarai, Jamalpur, and Munger, extending to Bhagalpur. This region is developing into a major industrial hub, hosting an ordnance factory in Munger, a locomotive workshop in Jamalpur, and expanding food-processing and warehousing clusters.
Bhagalpur, renowned for its silk industry, is being developed as a textile and logistics hub, while Barahiya is emerging as a food packaging and agro-warehousing center. The highway will enable speeds up to 100 kmph, reducing travel time to just 1.5 hours while supporting faster freight movement.
The project is projected to generate nearly 1.483 million man-days of direct employment and 1.846 million man-days indirectly, with additional jobs expected from increased industrial activity.
Railway Line Doubling Across Three States
The CCEA also approved doubling the Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat single railway line stretching 177 kilometers across Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. The ₹3,169 crore project aims to improve mobility, efficiency, and service reliability on one of the busiest railway sections.
Enhanced capacity will enable Indian Railways to ease congestion, reduce delays, and handle passenger and freight traffic more effectively. The project will improve rail connectivity across five districts and enhance access to pilgrimage destinations including Deoghar (Baba Baidyanath Dham) and Tarapith (Shakti Peeth).
Approximately 441 villages and 2.872 million people, including residents of three aspirational districts—Banka, Godda, and Dumka—will benefit from improved connectivity. The rail line will boost freight capacity by 15 million tonnes annually, carrying coal, cement, fertilizers, bricks, and stones while potentially saving 50 million liters of oil and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 240 million kilograms—equivalent to planting 10 million trees.
