Delay in Centre’s nod stalls five road projects in Bihar

Patna: Five national highway and expressway projects worth Rs 53,342 crore in state are awaiting final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)/Union Cabinet, delaying the start of construction despite key clearances being in place, official sources said.The projects, covering 412 km, have already been approved by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) over the past 10 months. Land acquisition and other statutory clearances are at an advanced stage. However, the absence of final approval has stalled progress, with officials warning that the land acquisition process under Section 3A is at risk of lapsing in some cases as the subsequent 3D notification process cannot proceed without project sanction.All five projects will be executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).According to Road Construction Department (RCD) sources, one of the key projects is the 82.5km four-laning of the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa stretch of NH-22, connecting the Indo-Nepal border. The project, to be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), entails a capital cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore and a project cost of Rs 2,840.18 crore. It received PPPAC approval in Oct 2025.The proposed corridor is expected to improve connectivity between Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Sonbarsa, divert heavy traffic from densely populated urban areas through flyovers, reduce travel time by around one hour and enhance access to religious destinations such as Baba Garibnath Temple in Muzaffarpur and Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi.Another project awaiting approval is the 13.41-km six-lane elevated corridor along with a six-lane at-grade road and service roads on the Anisabad-Deedarganj section of NH-22 and NH-31 in Patna. The project carries a capital cost of Rs 8,455.86 crore and a project cost of Rs 3,722.29 crore.Recommended by the PPPAC in Feb and March 2026, the corridor is expected to decongest major choke points in Patna, including Mithapur Chowk, Zero Mile Mor, Gurdwara Mor and Deedarganj Junction.The largest proposal in the pipeline is the 244.96-km four-lane greenfield Patna-Purnia Expressway (NE-9). The project has a capital cost of Rs 31,987 crore and a project cost of Rs 12,052 crore. It was approved by the PPPAC earlier this year but is yet to receive Cabinet clearance.Officials said another pending project involves the construction of a major bridge across the Gandak river and approach roads connecting Manuapul in West Champaran district with Tiwaripatti in Uttar Pradesh. The 29.25-km project has a capital cost of Rs 1,976.77 crore and a project cost of Rs 1,422.28 crore.The fifth project is the 41.96-km six-lane greenfield section of the Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata Highway (NH-319B) between Konki and Lerua villages in Bihar. It has a capital cost of Rs 7,331.40 crore and a project cost of Rs 2,897.16 crore.Officials said the highway would provide seamless, high-speed connectivity among Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, benefiting both passenger and freight movement.State officials have urged early approval of the projects, saying they are crucial for improving connectivity, easing congestion and boosting economic activity in Bihar.