Gadkari promises 13 green e-ways, economic corridors in Bihar by 2024

At the function held at Panduka in Rohtas district, Gadkari said once the bridge is completed, it would reduce the distance by 70-150 kilometres for those from the area travelling to Patna, Varanasi, Delhi via Dehri for various purposes.

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari Monday laid the foundation of the much-awaited two-lane Panduka-Shrinagar road bridge over Sone river in Bihar, which would connect Maoist affected hilly forest areas of the state and Jharkhand

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in Buxar on Monday. (HT Photo)

At the function held at Panduka in Rohtas district, Gadkari said once the bridge is completed, it would reduce the distance by 70-150 kilometres for those from the area travelling to Patna, Varanasi, Delhi via Dehri for various purposes.

“It will also bring about development of agro-based industries to improve the lives of the poor people and thereby help them in providing them employment and curb left-wing extremism,” he said and thanked BJP MP from Sasaram, Chhedi Paswan, for his continued efforts to get the bridge sanctioned.

“I do not do politics in development works. I would request Tejashwi ji (Bihar’s deputy chief minister) to come to Delhi with whatever problems the state has. I will sanction all projects. Make Bihar shine and bring it in the category of five progressive and prosperous states of the country. For this, I and the entire central government under the leadership of the Prime Minister will help,” Gadkari said, in an apparent bid to dispel the notion that the Centre was against the development of non-BJP ruled states.

“We will complete road projects worth ₹3 lakh crore, including 13 green expressways and economic corridors, in Bihar by 2024. The state’s road network would rival America’s,” he said.

Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav praised Gadkari for his commitment progressive approach and work for people in Bihar and in the states ruled by non-BJP parties.

“We have no worry till Gadkari Ji is the minister,” Ydav said and demanded sanction for additional ₹5,000 crore for construction of elevated road to Purvanchal Expressway for which an estimate had been already submitted by the state government.

BJP’s state unit president Sanjay Jaiswal, Sasaram MP Chhedi Paswan, Jamui MP Chirag Paswan and former MP Gopal Narayan Singh also addressed the function.

About the bridge

The central government has allocated ₹210.13 crore for the project and Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam has to complete the 2.15km-long (1.5km main bridge and 650m approach) and 18 metre-wide bridge, which would connect Panduka in Rohtas to Shrinagar in Garhwa district of Jharkhand.

The bridge was has been a long pending demand in the area, home to roughly 60 lakh people, mostly tribal and scheduled castes residing in hilly forest regions of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The area forms a major part of red corridor.

In 2019 elections, BJP had won the Sasaram (SC) Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, Palamu (SC) in Jharkhand, Surguja (ST) in Chhattisgarh, while its ally Aapna Dal won in Robertsganj (ST) in UP, riding high on claims that if voted to power, it would get the most sought after bridge completed before the 2024 polls.

Four-land road inaugurated

Meanwhile, at Buxar, Gadkari inaugurated 44-km four-lane road between Koilwar and Buxar, built at a cost of ₹1,662 crore. “Its 95 per cent work has been completed. The incomplete part is due to failure of local administration in solving the problem,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, he said the Purvanchal express is being connected with Patna by a green corridor. The elevated road to be built will be between Bihta and Shivala. Contract will be awarded for construction in December. “Three bypass roads around Ara will work as ring road for the town,” he said.

Union minister for state and Buxar MP Ashwini Kumar Choubey and state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal were present on the occasion.

Later, Gadkari joined the ongoing “Sanatan Sanskriti Samagam” being organised at Ahirauli in Buxar.