Asian Development Bank has agreed to channel another 300 million dollars loan to Bihar for the development of state roads. This is the 2nd loan from ADB for Bihar’s road development. In this phase, the state government has decided to construct 4 state highways covering 354 kms with an estimated cost of $368.26 million (Rs 1,653.5 crore). In 2008, ADB had provided the state $420 million to build nine state highways covering 820 kms.
The state’s road construction department secretary Pratyaya Amrit told that their mission is to develop state highways so that anyone can travel to Patna from any part of Bihar within 6 hrs.
Over the past 5 years around 3,300 km of state highways and major district roads has been developed in Bihar. To carry this development forward, Bihar government is slated to sign a pact with ADB for the new loan in the 3rd week of December this year. Typically these development loans are given by ADB to the Centre, which, in turn, extends it to state governments in local currency.
