Bihar govt renames Patna Zoo, dairy institute, approves road projects

The Bihar cabinet, chaired by CM Samrat Choudhary, on Tuesday approved in principle the construction of four major roads across Bihar, including two to be developed on the model of the J P Ganga Path in Patna.

Road construction department (RCD) secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal said the cabinet also cleared the names of these projects. Of the two roads along the Ganga, a 56km stretch will be constructed along the northern bank from Bidupur to Dighwara, parallel to the JP Ganga Path. It will also link the Hariharnath temple and the proposed Sonepur international airport. The road has been named Ganga Ambika Path.

The second project, Vishwamitra Ganga Path, will run 90km from Maner to Buxar via Ara and will effectively serve as an extension of the JP Ganga Path. The cabinet also sanctioned the construction of a 73.51km four-lane road between Darihara in Saran district and Dumaria Ghat in Gopalganj district, to be known as Naraini Road.

It further approved the construction of a high-value RCC bridge, along with its approach road, over the Falgu river in Gaya district, from Kothwara Bazar to the industrial corridor, and sanctioned Rs113.84 crore for the project. Pal said the three road projects—from Bidupur to Dighwara, Maner to Buxar via Ara, and Darihara to Dumaria Ghat—will be executed in public-private partnership (PPP) mode. Cost estimates will be finalised after preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) and submission of the transaction advisor’s report.

In another key decision, the cabinet approved scrapping the “package programme” system for works costing between Rs25 lakh and Rs50 lakh under the rural works department (RWD). RWD secretary Diwesh Sehra said projects will now be allotted individually, with preference given to Bihar-based contractors to encourage local entrepreneurship. Outside firms will be considered only if at least 70% of their shareholders are from Bihar.

The cabinet also approved renaming Sanjay Gandhi Botanical Garden, Patna, as Patna Zoo, and its managing body as the Patna Zoo Management and Development Society. Similarly, Sanjay Gandhi Gavya Pravaidyik Sansthan has been renamed Bihar State Institute of Dairy Technology, Patna.

It cleared the creation of 9,152 posts in 208 degree colleges to be opened across blocks, along with Rs104 crore for initial infrastructure at Rs50 lakh per college. Approval was also given for 485 traffic police posts in Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Biharsharif (Nalanda) and Gaya.

The cabinet further decided to earmark 50% of 20,937 police posts for promotion to the rank of assistant sub-inspector (ASI). The cabinet sanctioned the free transfer of 2.99 acres in Sandalpur, Patna City, to the Inland Waterways Authority of India for expansion of the National Inland Navigation Institute. It also approved transfer of 2.44 acres in Dhanpura, Ara, to the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for a token amount of Re 1.

Additionally, 12.54 acres in Harinkol, Bhagalpur, was transferred to the energy department for the upcoming thermal power plant at Pirpainti. The cabinet also approved transfer of 49 acres in Banka district for a constable training institute and 8 acres in Pathki, Banka, to Bihar State Power Transmission Company for a grid sub-centre with an investment of Rs 5.40 crore.