Roads in Bihar will match with that of US by 2024, says Nitin Gadkari

PATNA: Union Minister for Roadways and Transport Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday that road network in Bihar will match with that of the USA by 2024.

The minister was speaking at inaugural function of eastern flank of Mahatma Gandhi Setu over the river Ganga at Hajipur in Vaishali district. He also laid foundation of different road and bridge projects in the state on the occasion.

Gadkari said that Bihar will develop leaps and bounds under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Nitish Kumar in the state.

The minister further said that Bihar would soon figure in the list of country's developed states. The Union Ministry of Roadways and Transport will leave no stone unturned to ensure timely completion of both under-construction as well as proposed projects. He mentioned about some important proposals related to construction of roads and bridges earlier submitted to the Centre by the state government and those which were about to be completed.

“I never tell a lie. I do what I utter. Take down my words in your diary and wait for the day when the announcements at such functions were translated into reality,” Gadkari, who earlier served as BJP's national president and frequently visited Bihar, said among thunderous applause from the crowd.

Referring to expansion of Patna, the capital of Bihar, Gadkari said that he would be happy if smart cities were developed along the ring road, which is part of the expansion plan of Patna. The ring road project will play important role in development of the state capital.

He also assured to approve a project for building double-Decker bridge in Patna to ease traffic flow in the capital. The union ministry has already approved proposal for construction of bridges over state highways and national highways in Bihar.

Gadkari also talked about Budha circuit, Jain circuit and Ramjanki (Ayodhya) circuit among others. “Days are not far off when the state will witness a drastic change as far as infrastructure like road and bridges are concerned,” he told the gathering.