Patna, (Bihar Times): Road Construction Minister Prem Kumar has sought a special fund from the Centre for the widening and strengthening of roads in the Naxal affected areas of Bihar.
Speaking at the Conference of the Ministers-in-Charge of Highways in New Delhi on Wednesday he said that NH-2C, NH-99 and NH-110 have been declared naxal-affected highways. NH-2C (Dehri-Akbarpur-Jadnnathpur-Jardag), NH-99 (Dobhi to Jharkhand border) and NH-110 (Bihar Sharif-Ekangarsarai-Jehanabad-Arval) are respectively of 105 km, 20 km and 90 km. He stressed that without a special fund fast communication in these naxal affected areas are not possible.
The Minister called for the upgradation of some state highways into National Highways. They are Ara-Sasaram Road, Darbhanga-Kamtol-Basaitha-Madhuban Road, Patna to Ara, Koilwar - Sandesh - Sahar - Dehri - Tilauthu - Chutia, (5) Kaluwahi - Khajauli-Sakti - Kamala Bandh-Bhaskora-Singhveri Chauk, Sasaram-Chausa-Buxar, and Khagaul-Bihta road.
He elaborated plans for the development of National Highways in the state. He stated that approximately 1,150 km of declared National Highways are either a single lane or constitute an intermediate lane. He reasoned that the widening to two lane cost about one crore per km and thus, will require Rs 1,150 crores for the purpose.
Prem Kumar said that at present the plan allocation varies from 70 to 100 crores per year for Bihar. With the current pace of allocation, widening and strengthening of these roads are not possible and thus, suggested for funding with the help of World Bank or ADB loans.
He demanded that administrative approval cost is limited to 10 per cent of the budget and thus should be raised to 20 per cent as Union Ministry of Surface transport and National Highway stakes considerable time in sanctioning of the project.
