Ten new state highways to be constructed in Bihar
Patna, Mar 20 (UNI) Bihar government today announced that it would construct ten new state highways (SHs) with Nabard and other agency funding.
Talking about budgetary demands of his department worth Rs 1,590.93 crore in the state assembly, state Road Construction minister Nand Kishore Prasad Yadav said ten new state highways would be in addition to existing 41 SHs.
He said enough fund was available for construction of SHs, adding CPWD and IRCON had been asked to prepare the detailed project reports (DPRs) for the construction of new SHs and also for strengthening and widening of existing SHs by the end of 2007-08.
Mr Yadav said Rs 678.29 crore had been set aside for strengthening and widening of SHs during the next financial year.
He mentioned that the contractors would be asked to repair the roads in case of any defect within three years of the construction.
He said 2455 km of road declared as national highways during the ninth and the tenth five year plans, remained in dilapidated condition and now the government had prepared a project report for repair of this stretch of NHs.
He said the project report would be submitted to the Centre soon for seeking permission to raise external funding for the purpose.
The Minister said that his department was also facing shortage of manpower as only eight Superintending Engineers were working against the sanctioned strength of 72.
He said three posts of engineers-in-chief were also vacant for the last several years.
Later, the budgetary demands were passed by voice vote after rejecting the cut motion moved by Jagtanand Singh of RJD.
UNI DH JYN/src2025