Patna: Large-scale traffic restrictions imposed during the swearing-in ceremony of the expanded Bihar cabinet caused severe congestion across Patna on Thursday, leaving commuters stranded on several major roads for hours.
The ceremony at Gandhi Maidan was attended by several senior NDA leaders, including Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, J. P. Nadda and BJP national president Nitin Nabin.
Several union ministers from Bihar, including Chirag Paswan, Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Jitan Ram Manjhi, also attended the event.
Long Traffic Snarls Across City
Authorities imposed extensive route diversions and movement restrictions from 8am to 3pm across large sections of the city due to VVIP movement between the airport and Gandhi Maidan.
Traffic jams stretching nearly 1.5 kilometres were reported on several roads, including routes leading towards Gaya and the airport corridor.
Officials had earlier advised passengers travelling to the airport to leave their homes at least three hours before scheduled departures.
Commuters Express Frustration
Many commuters criticised the timing of the event, saying the restrictions coincided with peak office hours and caused significant disruption.
People stuck in traffic accused the administration of prioritising political arrangements over public convenience and questioned why the event was not scheduled on a weekend.
Several residents also complained that information regarding traffic diversions had not been communicated adequately in advance.
Key Roads Sealed Off
As part of the security arrangements, Gandhi Maidan and surrounding areas were completely sealed.
Vehicular movement was heavily restricted or halted in several locations, including the airport area, Bailey Road, Patel Golambar and Gardanibagh.
Emergency vehicles, however, were exempted from the restrictions.
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Tight Security For VVIP Movement
The traffic measures were implemented amid heightened security arrangements for the presence of multiple senior political leaders attending the cabinet expansion ceremony led by Samrat Choudhary.
Authorities said diversions were necessary to ensure smooth movement and security during the high-profile event.
