CM flags off massive Pathashree-Rastashree expansion covering 20k km

In a sweeping pre-poll push to upgrade West Bengal’s road infrastructure, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday inaugurated an unprecedented 20,000 km of road construction and upgradation works under the fourth phase of the Pathashree and Rastashree schemes, remotely launching what officials describe as one of the state’s largest infrastructure drives in recent years.

The inaugural ceremony, held in Krishnagar Government College ground, combined administrative symbolism with political messaging. Moments after the Chief Minister pressed the remote to signal the statewide start of work, she stepped forward to lay bricks, sand and cement on the dais — a gesture intended to mark the on-ground commencement of thousands of road projects.

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The event was attended by the chief secretary, the panchayat secretary, District Magistrate Aneesh Das Gupta, Krishnagar MP Mahua Moitra, and state minister and local MLA Ujjal Biswas.

According to administrative sources, bulk of the new works fall under the panchayat and rural development department, which will oversee 9,114 roads stretching 15,011 kilometres. The estimated expenditure for this component stands at Rs 6,987 crore. Officials indicated that the execution process began immediately after the chief minister’s remote-triggered launch.

Urban areas under the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will also see significant expansion, with plans to construct 11,365 roads covering 5,019 kilometres at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore. These works are scheduled to begin from January.

Taken together, this phase of the Pathashree–Rastashree programme comprises 20,479 new roads with a combined length of 20,030 kilometres. The total projected expenditure of Rs 21,987 crore positions the initiative among the most extensive infrastructure commitments undertaken by the state.

While the government has billed the rollout as a transformative step toward improving rural mobility, urban connectivity, and last-mile access, the timing has added a clear political undertone as West Bengal readies itself for Assembly elections next year. By foregrounding a massive civil works agenda, the administration is seeking to project both governance efficiency and developmental momentum ahead of the polls.

Officials maintain that the new roads are expected to reduce travel bottlenecks, improve public service access, and accelerate economic activity across districts. The Chief Minister, in her address, emphasised the government’s commitment to expanding rural and urban infrastructure despite fiscal constraints, asserting that improved roads are “the backbone of development.”