PM to Launch Major Infrastructure Push in Bihar and West Bengal
Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar and West Bengal on July 18, where he is set to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for infrastructure and development projects worth more than Rs12,000 crore.
Modi will begin his day in Motihari, Bihar, at around 11:30am, where he will unveil projects exceeding Rs7,200 crore across sectors such as rail, road, rural development, fisheries, and information technology. Later in the day, at around 3pm, he will travel to Durgapur, West Bengal, to launch projects worth more than Rs5,000 crore, covering the oil and gas, power, and transportation sectors.
Bihar: Rail, road and rural focus
In Bihar, Modi will dedicate a series of rail projects to the nation, including automatic signalling on the Samastipur–Bachhwara line and the doubling of rail tracks between Darbhanga–Thalwara and Samastipur–Rambhadrapur, part of a Rs580 crore initiative to enhance capacity and efficiency.
He will also lay the foundation for infrastructure to service Vande Bharat trains at Patliputra and initiate signalling and traction upgrades on the Bhatni–Chhapra section. Additionally, the Rs4,080 crore doubling of the Darbhanga–Narkatiaganj line is expected to improve passenger and freight connectivity across north Bihar.
Road development projects include the foundation of a four-lane Arrah bypass on NH-319 to connect Arrah–Mohania and Patna–Buxar highways, as well as the inauguration of a four-lane stretch from Pararia to Mohania costing over Rs820 crore. A two-lane paved section between Sarwan and Chakai on NH-333C will also be constructed, improving links between Bihar and Jharkhand.
In the IT sector, the Prime Minister will inaugurate new Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Darbhanga and an incubation centre in Patna to boost digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
Fisheries infrastructure will also receive a boost through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, with new hatcheries, biofloc units, ornamental fishery projects, and fish feed mills across Bihar to improve rural livelihoods.
Modi is also expected to flag off four Amrit Bharat trains from Bihar, connecting Patna, Motihari, Darbhanga, and Malda Town to Delhi and Lucknow.
In a move towards women-led development, the Prime Minister will release Rs400 crore to 61,500 Self Help Groups under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana. Additionally, he will distribute house keys to 12,000 beneficiaries and release Rs160 crore to 40,000 others under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin.
