A total of 4,500 km new roads will be constructed in Bihar by 2010 at an estimated cost of Rs 18,000 crores to improve the state's present deplorable road condition to global standard.
PATNA: A total of 4,500 km new roads will be constructed in Bihar by 2010 at an estimated cost of Rs 18,000 crores to improve the state's present deplorable road condition to global standard.
Announcing the mammoth time bound project to improve the entire road network and bring them at par with global standard, state Road Construction and Tourism Minister Nand Kishore Yadav said here on Saturday night that since the Nitish Kumar government assumed office about two years ago, the government had given top priority on road construction projects all across the state and had undertaken a number of new projects in several districts to improve the surface connectivity.
As such, he said, the government had prepared a road map for the construction of as much as 4,500 km of new roads and state highways in different parts of the state and hoped to complete within the next three years at a cost of Rs 18,000 crores, majority of which would come from leading lending agencies like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan Bank of International Cooperatipon (JBIC).
''About 716 km of the 4,500 km roads network had already been completed at a cost of Rs 1600 crores, while work for the remaining portion was going on in full-swing,'' the minister reiterated. Mr Yadav was speaking at a seminar organised by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on the development of its newest bitumen product for construction of all weather roads.
IOC General Manager Ashok Nath Jha along with a number of senior officials of the corporation and experts on bitunmen were also present.
Referring to the tremendous growth potential in the road construction projects in the state, the minister said under the various central government schemes including the Prime Minister's 'Gramin Sarak Yojona', about 1,000 km motorable roads were being constructed to improve the connectivity even with far flung villages.
''As much as 30 per cent of the total 'Planned' allocation of this year's budget had been earmarked for construction of new roads and improvement of others,''the minister said and claimed that 'no other state in the country had done this before' with the people of Bihar becoming the greatest beneficiary.
He also highlighted the government decision to convert 2,500 km odd state highways in the state into 'all weather roads' with the improved technology and better quality product and reiterated his government all out cooperation and suppport to the IOC and other agencies for completing the work on time.
Earlier speaking on the occasion the IOC General Manager said, during the past couple of years the demand for bitumen had increased by more than 400 per cent in Bihar, which was an all India record.
It also reflected the pace of infrastuructural development going on in the state, Mr Jha emphasised and described the present scenario as a welcome change.
More than 50 experts on various aspects of road construction and bitumen technology attended the seminar.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}