In September 2025, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, approved two major infrastructure projects in Bihar, aimed at boosting connectivity, reducing travel time, and promoting economic development in the state.
- The approved infrastructure initiatives comprise the construction of a 4-lane National Highway(NH)-139W highway and the doubling of the Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya railway line in Bihar.
Exam Hints:
Approval 1
- What? 4-lane Sahebganj–Areraj–Bettiah section of NH-139W
- Cost: Rs.3,822.31 cr
- Length: 78.942 km
Approval 2
- What? Bakhtiyarpur – Rajgir – Tilaiya single railway line
- Length: 104 km
- Outlay: Rs.2,192 cr
Four-Lane NH-139W Highway Project:
Project: The project involves the construction of a 4-lane Sahebganj–Areraj–Bettiah section of NH-139W under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), covering a total length of 78.942 kilometer (km) at a capital cost of Rs. 3,822.31 crore (cr).
Four-lane: The proposed four-lane greenfield project is to improve connectivity between Patna (Bihar) with Bettiah connecting the North Bihar Districts of Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and West Champaran up to the areas along the Indo-Nepal border.
Connectivity: The project aims to enhance connectivity by linking 7 PM Gati Shakti Economic Nodes, 6 Social Nodes, 8 Logistic Nodes, and 9 major tourism and religious centers across Bihar.
- It will improve access to key heritage and Buddhist sites, such as Kesariya Buddha Stupa (Sahebganj), Someshwarnath Mandir (Areraj), Jain Mandir and Vishwa Shanti Stupa (Vaishali), and Mahavir Temple (Patna), strengthening the Buddhist circuit and promoting international tourism in the state.
Link other NH: The NH-139W will serve as an important link to the NH-31, NH-722, NH-727, NH-27 and NH-227A.
Doubling of Bakhtiyarpur – Rajgir – Tilaiya Railway Line:
Project: The CCEA also approved the doubling of Bakhtiyarpur – Rajgir – Tilaiya single railway line section in Bihar with total cost of Rs. 2,192 crore (cr).
Length: The project covering four Districts in the state of Bihar will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 104 Kms (kilometres).
Connectivity: It also provides rail connectivity to prominent destinations such as Rajgir (Shanti Stupa), Nalanda, Pawapuri and 2 Aspirational districts (Gaya and Nawada).
Environmental Impact: This construction will help both in achieving climate goals and minimizing logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (5 Crore Litres) and lower CO2 (Carbon dioxide) emissions (24 Crore Kilogram (kg)) which is equivalent to plantation of 1 cr trees.
About PM Gati Shakti:
Launch:This National Master Plan (NMP) was launched on 13th October 2021 for providing multimodal connectivity infrastructure to various economic zones.
Drivers:It is driven by 7 engines: Railways, roads, ports, waterways, airports, mass Transport, logistics Infrastructure.
Implemented by: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
About Bihar:
Chief Minister (CM) – Nitish Kumar
Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan
Capital – Patna
National Park (NP) – Valmiki NP
