Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off a slew of infrastructure and healthcare projects worth over ₹18,000 crore during his single-day visit to Bihar
and West Bengal on Friday, August 22.
He will inaugurate multiple development projects worth ₹13,000 crore in Bihar, and over ₹5,200-crore projects in Bengal, including the Kolkata metro's latest chapter.
PM Modi will launch two trains in Bihar, including Amrit Bharat Express between Gaya and Delhi and Buddhist Circuit Train between Vaishali and Koderma. The latter, which will facilitate pilgrimage to key Buddhist sites, is expected to boost to local tourism.
He will also inaugurate an 8.15 km Aunta-Simaria bridge project on NH-31, which includes a 1.86 km six-lane bridge over the Ganga. This is expected to provide direct connectivity between Mokama in Patna and Begusarai.
The government claims that the bridge, built at a cost of over ₹1,870 crore, will reduce travel distance by over 100 km for heavy vehicles travelling between north and south Bihar.
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"It will boost economic growth in the adjoining areas, especially in north Bihar, which are dependent on south Bihar and Jharkhand for getting necessary raw material," the government stated.
The prime minister will unveil the four-lane Bakhtiyarpur to Mokama section of NH-31, worth around ₹1,900 crore. He is also expected to inaugurate the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Muzaffarpur as well as the Buxar Thermal Power Plant (660x1 MW) worth around ₹6,880 crore. The plant will help improve energy security and meet Bihar's growing electricity demand.
Other projects include sewerage treatment plants in Aurangabad and Jehanabad, and water supply projects at Aurangabad, Bodhgaya, and Jehanabad, among others.
In Kolkata, Modi will formally launch the newly-constructed metro train services in Kolkata at around 4.15 pm on August 22. He will also ride the metro from Jessore Road metro station to Jai Hind Bimanbandar (airport).
He will also lay the foundation stone for the six-lane Kona Expressway, worth over ₹1,200 crore, which will enhance connectivity between Kolkata, Howrah, and surrounding rural areas.
