Besides, the state would have four-lane roads emanating from Patna in all the four directions. The driveway along the Ganga would also be completed during the period. He said a ring of National and State Highways would be constructed around Patna.

The minister said an elevated road, named Loknayak Setu, would be constructed from Jagdeo Path to Sheikhpura in western part of Patna. This would be linked to the GPO roundabout flyover reaching Chiraiyantand from where there is another flyover reaching Exhibition Road. He said another elevated road would be built from Gaighat, which would link the flyover reaching Moinul Haque stadium.

The Assembly passed the Road Construction Department (RCD)’s Budgetary demand of Rs 4,475 crore.

The RCD minister said the state government had to invest Rs 969 crore from its own resources on completion of National Highway (NH) projects.

The minister said the Centre always gave less money for the NH projects. He said the quality of construction of state highways was better than that of national highways.

He reebutted charges of RJD MLA, Lalit Kumar Yadav, who moved Cut Motion alleging poor quality of roads. The minister said the quality was being maintained despite the rising bitumen cost.

However, the leader of opposition in the state Assembly, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, led the walkout accusing the government of spending more and working less.

Countering the charge of Opposition that no investment was trickling in the state, Nand Kishore said the road sector alone had fetched an investment of Rs 5,000 crore under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

According to him the government has already given its nod to the construction of another Rs 1502-crore Maha-Setu (mega bridge) on the Ganga from Bakhtiyarpur in Patna district to Tajpur in Samastipur district. Similarly, the Rs 970-crore Ara-Mohania highway is coming up under the PPP mode.

Comment

comments...