Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar and West Bengal on Friday to launch a series of development projects worth over Rs 17 billion, aimed at strengthening infrastructure, connectivity, and socio-economic growth in the two states.

Projects in Bihar

In Bihar, the Prime Minister will lay foundation stones, inaugurate, and dedicate projects spanning rail, road, rural development, fisheries, electronics, and information technology sectors.

He will inaugurate multiple rail projects, including the automatic signalling system on the Samastipur-Bachhwara rail line for improved train operations. The doubling of the Darbhanga-Thalwara and Samastipur-Rambhadrapur rail lines, part of the Darbhanga-Samastipur doubling project worth over Rs 580 million, will enhance capacity and reduce delays.

The Prime Minister will lay foundation stones for infrastructure supporting Vande Bharat train maintenance at Patliputra, automatic signalling on the 114 km Bhatni–Chhapra Gramin rail line, and the upgrading of traction systems in the same section to allow higher train speeds and better energy efficiency. Additionally, the Rs 4.08 billion Darbhanga–Narkatiaganj rail line doubling project will boost sectional capacity and connectivity between North Bihar and the rest of India.

In road connectivity, he will launch the four-laning of the Ara bypass on NH-319 and inaugurate the Parariya to Mohania section, improving links to the Golden Quadrilateral. A two-lane paved shoulder road from Sarwan to Chakai under NH-333C, connecting Bihar and Jharkhand, will also be inaugurated.

In digital infrastructure, a new Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) facility in Darbhanga and a modern incubation centre in Patna will be inaugurated, supporting IT growth and startups.

Fisheries development projects under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) will include hatcheries, biofloc units, ornamental fish farming, and integrated aquaculture infrastructure to boost rural employment and the economy.

The Prime Minister will also flag off four new Amrit Bharat trains connecting cities such as Patna, Motihari, Darbhanga, and Malda Town to major hubs like New Delhi and Lucknow, enhancing regional rail connectivity.

Further, he will release Rs 400 million to approximately 61,500 Self-Help Groups in Bihar under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission and hand over keys to 12,000 families under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin, releasing over Rs 160 million to 40,000 beneficiaries.

Projects in West Bengal

Later, the Prime Minister will visit Durgapur, West Bengal, to launch projects worth over Rs 5 billion across oil and gas, power, road, and rail sectors.

He will lay the foundation for the Rs 1.95 billion Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) City Gas Distribution project in Bankura and Purulia, aimed at supplying piped natural gas and CNG, creating jobs and promoting clean energy.

The 132-km Durgapur to Kolkata section of the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga natural gas pipeline, worth over Rs 1.19 billion, will be inaugurated, enhancing gas supply across several districts including Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Nadia.

In clean energy, Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems worth over Rs 1.45 billion at the Durgapur Steel and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Stations will be inaugurated, improving air quality and sustainable power generation.

Rail infrastructure will be strengthened with the inauguration of the 36-km Purulia-Kotshila rail line doubling project, valued at over Rs 390 million, enhancing connectivity from Jamshedpur, Bokaro, and Dhanbad to Ranchi and Kolkata.

Finally, two road overbridges at Topsi and Pandabeshwar in Paschim Bardhaman, built under the Setu Bharatam programme at a cost exceeding Rs 380 million, will be inaugurated to ease traffic and improve safety at railway crossings.