By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conducted an important tour of Patna district on Monday, which included an aerial survey of the Bakhtiyarpur (Karjan)-Tajpur (Samastipur) bridge and the Bakhtiyarpur-Mokama four-lane road. During his visit, the Chief Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects in the district. He directed officials to expedite the construction work and ensure timely completion of the projects.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar emphasised that the completion of this four-lane road will significantly improve connectivity from Patna to Mokama, Barauni, Begusarai, and Lakhisarai via Bakhtiyarpur, reducing travel time and fuel costs. The construction of the Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur bridge will create a new link between North and South Bihar, cutting the travel distance by 60 kilometres. This will also alleviate congestion in Patna, as vehicles travelling to North Bihar will no longer need to pass through the city.
At Belchi, the Chief Minister inaugurated the block cum zonal office and residential building by unveiling a plaque. Additionally, he inaugurated several facilities, including model police station buildings in Patna district built at a cost of Rs 17.78 crore, 11,285 Chief Minister Rural Solar Street Lights, 122 libraries, 21 community buildings, 122 animal sheds, nine plastic waste management units, rural markets (haats), and Anganwadi centre buildings. He also laid the foundation stone for 11 model police stations and 17 police buildings in the district, amounting to Rs 88.97 crore.
Furthermore, Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone for several key projects, including the Government Ambedkar Scheduled Caste +2 Residential School, 20 Gram Sangathan Bhawans, 900 new animal sheds, 1,911 soakpits, and 103 rooftop rainwater harvesting structures.
In a symbolic gesture, the Chief Minister presented a cheque of Rs 1.20 lakh to beneficiaries of the Rural Housing Scheme and a cheque of Rs 55.30 crore to Jeevika groups. He also handed over the keys to Dhanarua and Naubatpur Jeevika Bhawans to members of the Jeevika initiative.
During his visit, the Chief Minister inspected the progress of the four-to-six lane Auntha-Simaria section of NH-31 at Hathidah, Mokama, and urged officials to complete the project swiftly. He instructed officials to request the central government for the construction of a 10 km elevated road towards Begusarai to avoid traffic congestion caused by the high volume of vehicles.
Nitish Kumar also inaugurated the newly constructed Primary Health Centre in Maranchi and reviewed the available health facilities. Union Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (alias Lallan Singh), MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanu, and several senior officials were present during the event.
