Bihar’s forest department has agreed to obtain forest clearance and oversee execution of a highway widening project on forest land, despite its regulatory role in assessing such applications. The arrangement was formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed with the state’s Road Construction Department (RCD) on September 26.

The agreement covers the widening and strengthening of a 10.5-kilometre section of National Highway 333 through Gangata forest in Munger district. The existing single-lane road is to be converted into a two-lane carriageway, with the project intended to improve connectivity, road safety and traffic movement.

The project requires 2.1 hectares of forest land from Bhimband Wildlife Sanctuary. An application for forest clearance was submitted in April 2023 and one for wildlife clearance in February 2024, but the Parivesh single-window portal records the application status as pending at the state level.

The MoU requires the forest department to assist with processing forest diversion approvals, facilitate access to the required land and support the expedited handling of related statutory permissions. It also gives the department execution responsibility, including contractual administration during the defect-liability period, while assigning the Divisional Forest Officer, Munger, responsibility for processing bills, making payments and maintaining financial records.

The same officer is responsible under the applicable process for the preliminary field assessment of forest clearance applications within the jurisdiction. The department’s head of forest force, Arvinder Singh, has said the MoU is being withdrawn after concerns were raised about the potential conflict between its regulatory and project-delivery roles.

The RCD will retain responsibility for the sanctioned estimate, bidding documents, tendering and award of work. It will also deploy engineering staff to supervise construction, check quality, record measurements and scrutinise bills, while forest personnel will work alongside them. The project runs between kilometre 28.340 and kilometre 38.840, and its revised cost is Rs. 510 mn.