Patna: The Bihar Building Construction Department on Wednesday conducted a state-level review of infrastructure projects being executed across the southern division of the state.
The review meeting, chaired by building construction minister Leshi Singh, was held via video conference from Visvesvaraya Bhawan in Patna. Senior departmental officials, including secretary Pranav Kumar, engineers and executive engineers from various divisions participated in the meeting.
Projects linked to multiple departments, including law, rural development, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe welfare, backward and extremely backward classes welfare, home (prisons) and general administration, were reviewed. Discussions focused on physical progress, implementation challenges and construction quality.
Judicial Infrastructure Projects Underway
The department reviewed the progress of court complexes and residential facilities for judicial officers.
In Daudnagar, Aurangabad district, the structural work for a G+5 residential complex comprising 20 judicial officers’ quarters has been completed at a cost of Rs. 12.10 crore, with finishing work currently underway.
In Buxar, construction of 10 residential units for judicial officers at the old district judge residential campus is at an advanced stage. Special excise courts are also being built in Bhagalpur and Jamui to support judicial functioning. In Jamui, the roof casting of the ground floor has been completed.
Administrative Buildings Across Districts
The department also reviewed the construction of integrated block-cum-circle office buildings aimed at providing administrative services under one roof.
Projects are in progress in several blocks of Bhojpur district, including Tarari, Ara Sadar, Piro, Sahar, Udwantnagar and Koilwar, as well as Kurtha and Arwal Sadar in Arwal district.
In Chewara block of Sheikhpura district, a block-cum-circle office and residential complex is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 30.74 crore. Roof shuttering work is currently in progress.
Focus on Educational and Welfare Infrastructure
Construction of residential educational institutions for students from disadvantaged communities was also reviewed.
In Kutumba and Madanpur blocks of Aurangabad district, the structural work of two Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Residential Schools, each with a capacity of 720 students, has been completed. Plastering work is ongoing.
In Kaimur district, government welfare hostels with a capacity of 100 students each in Ramgarh and Durgawati blocks have reached the finishing stage after completion of structural work.
Prison and Public Facility Projects
The review covered prison infrastructure projects as well.
In Arwal district, construction of residential and administrative buildings for a proposed divisional jail is nearing completion.
At Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, structural work is underway for a sub-jail project worth Rs. 42.37 crore, including barracks with a capacity of 198 inmates, a hospital and administrative facilities.
In Jehanabad, roof casting up to truss level has been completed for a 500-seat auditorium. In Nawada, construction of an eight-room extension to the district guest house is nearing completion, with sanitary and fire-fighting installations currently being carried out.
Officials Asked to Expedite Work
During the meeting, the minister directed officials to improve coordination for land availability, remove administrative and technical hurdles and ensure projects are completed within stipulated deadlines.
She emphasised that public-interest projects should receive priority and instructed engineers to comply with directions issued during review meetings.
Secretary Pranav Kumar expressed concern over delays in some projects and directed officials to accelerate execution. He also stressed strict monitoring of construction quality and warned that any irregularities would invite action against contractors and concerned engineers.
