Patna: Prefabricated shops dismantled from the JP Ganga Path in Patna are set to be transferred to Jeevika, Bihar’s rural livelihood promotion committee, as part of a plan to support women-led enterprises under the state’s self-help group programme.
The proposal, initiated by Patna Smart City Limited (PSCL), is expected to be formally approved at a board meeting scheduled for Wednesday. If cleared, around 200 prefabricated units will be handed over to Jeevika, with the agreed transfer amount to be paid in instalments over a five-year period.
The shops were originally installed along the JP Ganga Path as part of the Smart City project to create a dedicated vending zone. Around 500 units were constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 15.45 crore. However, officials later acknowledged that the design was flawed and that the structures obstructed views of the river Ganges, prompting a decision to remove them.
Plans are now underway to redesign the vending area. According to officials familiar with the matter, only 50 to 60 larger shops may eventually be installed along the riverfront. Yashpal Meena, managing director of PSCL, said the final number and design were still under consideration, but confirmed that the removed prefabricated shops would be transferred to Jeevika.
In a letter sent to PSCL in January 2026, Jeevika requested the handover of around 200 units, stating that they would be allocated to women from its self-help groups at the block level. The aim, the letter said, was to enable rural women to start small and medium-sized businesses and strengthen livelihoods.
The dismantled shops have currently been relocated to a high school campus in Gardanibagh. Officials said water has accumulated beneath several of the structures, with some already showing signs of damage, adding urgency to a decision on their future use.
If approved, the move would mark a shift in the use of Smart City infrastructure towards livelihood generation, particularly for women, amid ongoing revisions to Patna’s flagship riverfront development project.
