Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has launched the third phase of the state’s Output and Performance Based Road Maintenance Contract (OPRMC), covering 13,033 km of roads with an investment of Rs. 105.91 bn. The seven-year programme will run from 2026 to 2033 and has been divided into 66 packages across road divisions in the state.

Under OPRMC Phase 3, contractors will undertake routine repairs, periodic strengthening and resurfacing with fresh bituminous layers. Their responsibilities will also include drainage improvements, road safety measures, pothole repairs and the strengthening of weak road sections.

The Bihar Road Construction Department has issued tenders for the work, with maintenance periods set at 84 months for different road divisions. The framework also provides for regular cleaning operations and the inclusion of roads shorter than 1 km, bringing smaller stretches within the state’s maintenance policy.

The programme is the third iteration of OPRMC, which was introduced in 2014. Its second phase began in 2019, with the latest phase expanding the maintenance framework and setting out longer-term responsibilities for contractors across Bihar’s road network.

Earlier this year, the Bihar Cabinet approved a separate Rs. 159.67 bn maintenance plan for 19,305 km of roads under the Public Works Department. That programme also includes artificial intelligence and machine learning-based monitoring systems intended to improve transparency and provide real-time oversight of maintenance work.

The latest initiative forms part of Bihar’s wider effort to improve road quality through performance-linked contracts and structured monitoring. By assigning maintenance obligations over an extended period, the state aims to ensure that repairs, resurfacing, drainage work and safety interventions are carried out through a coordinated system rather than as isolated measures.