Patna: Patna’s eastern urban areas are set for a wave of infrastructure development after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 341.43 crore on Tuesday.
At a ceremony held at Bhadra Ghat in Patna City, Kumar unveiled plaques for five schemes linked to promises made during his Pragati Yatra earlier this year. He said the initiatives would ease congestion, improve access to religious sites and enhance civic amenities.
The most significant of the projects is the widening of the old road along the Ganga, stretching 7.8km from Gaighat Kangan Ghat to Didarganj, at a cost of Rs 158.40 crore. Kumar said the road would relieve traffic bottlenecks and provide easier access to the river during festivals such as Chhath.
A down ramp towards the river near JP Ganga Ghat in Gaighat will also be constructed for Rs 61.95 crore, with the chief minister noting that it would help tackle persistent traffic jams caused by the U-turn system on JP Ganga Path.
Another key scheme is the development of a multi-level parking facility at Takht Shri Harmandir Ji in Patna Sahib, one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines, at a cost of Rs 99.28 crore. The site attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually. Kumar said the new facility would ease congestion and improve the experience for devotees.
The government also announced work worth Rs 21.8 crore to upgrade facilities at Mangal Talab, a historic pond associated with Guru Gobind Singh’s childhood. The plan includes both tourist amenities and civic improvements.
During the event, Kumar instructed officials to install portraits of Jayaprakash Narayan along JP Ganga Path and of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Atal Path, and stressed that both routes should remain clean, well-equipped and safe.
The projects form part of the state’s larger development push following the Pragati Yatra, during which Kumar toured all districts and approved more than 400 schemes worth Rs 50,000 crore. In Patna district alone, 32 announcements were made in February, with staggered implementation through the year.
