Ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, the Union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved two major infrastructure projects for the state.
The first is for the construction of the 82.4 km four-lane greenfield, access-controlled Mokama–Munger section of the Buxar–Bhagalpur High-Speed Corridor on the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). With a capital cost of Rs 4,447.38 crore, the corridor is expected to significantly cut travel time to around 1.5 hours, offering safer and faster connectivity for both freight and passenger vehicles.
The section will link key cities, including Mokama, Barahiya, Lakhisarai, Jamalpur, and Munger to Bhagalpur, a fast-developing textile and logistics hub. Officials said the project is designed to support vehicular speeds of up to 100 km/h and will generate nearly 33 lakh man-days of direct and indirect employment during construction.
The cabinet also approved the doubling of the Bhagalpur–Dumka–Rampurhat railway line (177 km), spread across Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, at an estimated cost of Rs 3,169 crore. The project is aimed at easing congestion on one of the busiest railway sections, improving mobility, and ensuring reliable freight and passenger services.
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Railway officials said the line will provide enhanced connectivity to about 441 villages across five districts, touching a population of nearly 29 lakh, including three aspirational districts — Banka, Godda, and Dumka.
The section also connects to religious destinations such as Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar and the Tarapith Shakti Peeth, boosting tourism.
Both projects have been brought under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with an emphasis on integrated, multi-modal connectivity. Officials described them as being in line with the prime minister’s vision of making the region “Atmanirbhar” by generating jobs and enabling self-employment opportunities.