Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving highway expansion and the doubling of railway lines in Bihar.
“Today, the Modi government has given Bihar road- and rail-related projects worth Rs 6,014.31 crore. Bihar, which had been deprived of basic infrastructure like roads and railways for decades under opposition governments at both the center and state level, is now being transformed by our coalition government into a developed state,” he said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the doubling of the Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya single railway line section, covering a distance of 104 km in Bihar with a total investment of Rs 2,192 crore.
The project, spanning four districts in Bihar, will provide rail connectivity to prominent destinations such as Rajgir (Shanti Stupa), Nalanda, and Pawapuri, attracting pilgrims and tourists from across the country.
Multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity for around 1,434 villages and approximately 13.46 lakh people, including the two aspirational districts of Gaya and Nawada, according to an official statement.
This route is crucial for the transportation of commodities such as coal, cement, clinker, and fly ash. The capacity augmentation works are expected to handle an additional freight volume of 26 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum).
Railways, being an environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, will help achieve climate goals while minimizing logistics costs. Oil imports are expected to reduce by 5 crore litres, saving valuable foreign exchange.
CO2 emissions will also decrease by 24 crore kg, equivalent to planting 1 crore trees, the official statement added.
The enhanced line capacity will improve mobility, ensuring better efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. Multi-tracking will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing much-needed infrastructure development on some of the busiest sections of the railway network.
These projects align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a New India, making the people of the region more “Atmanirbhar” through comprehensive development that will also enhance employment opportunities.