Patna: The proposed road connecting Baba Vishwanath in Varanasi to Pashupatinath in Nepal has hit a major roadblock after the central government imposed fresh conditions, delaying the construction of the Darbhanga-Jayanagar four-lane highway under National Highway 527B.
Though Rs 1,300 crore has been allocated for the project in the current financial year, its progress is tied to the yet-to-begin Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway. The central ministry has directed that a new alignment be created for the Darbhanga-Jayanagar stretch, linking it with the upcoming expressway via a spur. The revised alignment must be approved before work can proceed. However, land acquisition for the expressway has not even started, effectively stalling the entire project.
The Darbhanga-Jayanagar route—meant to expand connectivity from Amas in Aurangabad through Darbhanga to the Nepal border—passes through Delhi Mor, Kewti, Aunsi, Rampur, Rahika, Pokhrauni, Kaluahi, Bardehpur, Narar, and Dullipatti. Only the 14-km section between Darbhanga and Banwaripatti, approved back in 2023, has seen progress.
A new integrated checkpost is also planned in Jayanagar as part of the larger project. However, the delay in road construction may render the checkpost, along with the 15-km greenfield section, non-operational for the foreseeable future.
