Patna: Land acquisition for the proposed Siliguri–Gorakhpur six-lane expressway has gathered pace in Bihar’s Madhubani district, with officials conducting physical verification across dozens of villages expected to fall along the route.
A five-member team led by the district land acquisition officer and deputy commissioner of land reforms (DCLR), Upendra Thakur, carried out inspections in several villages to assess the extent and classification of land required for the project. The team also included additional district land acquisition officer Vivek Kumar Mishra, Benipatti DCLR Prashant Kumar and revenue official Parvez Alam.
Officials said the current exercise aims to determine the category of land to be acquired so that the next stages of the legal and administrative process can begin. Preliminary notifications are under way, with further procedures expected to follow shortly.
According to district authorities, the expressway will span roughly 28km in Benipatti block, 36km in the Sadar subdivision and 32km in the Phulparas subdivision, requiring an estimated 688 hectares of land in total.
More than three dozen villages are set to be affected, including Barari, Benipatti and Ladaut in Benipatti block. The route will then connect to Phulparas via Kaluahi block in the Sadar subdivision, strengthening regional connectivity between north Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Once acquisition is finalised, notices will be issued to landowners through the respective circle offices. Compensation will be provided in accordance with statutory provisions, officials said, adding that the process would be conducted transparently and with due consideration for farmers’ interests.
The development comes as a four-lane national highway is already under construction in the Benipatti area under the Bharatmala project. The proposed six-lane expressway is expected to further enhance road infrastructure and ease travel across the region.
