Cabinet Approves Rs 37.12 Billion Patna-Arrah-Sasaram Corridor Project

29 Mar 2025 CW Team

Project highlights

• Objective: Reduce congestion and enhance connectivity between Patna, Arrah, and Sasaram, replacing reliance on existing state highways (SH-2, SH-12, SH-81, SH-102), which currently take 3-4 hours due to traffic bottlenecks.

• Alignment: The corridor integrates with key national highways, including NH-19, NH-319, NH-922, NH-131G, and NH-120, ensuring seamless connectivity to Aurangabad, Kaimur, and Patna.

• Strategic connectivity: Links to two airports (Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan International airport and the upcoming Bihita Airport), four major railway stations (Sasaram, Arrah, Danapur, Patna), and one inland water terminal (Patna).

• Employment generation: Expected to create 22 lakh person-days of direct employment and 26 lakh person-days of indirect employment.

• Traffic projection: Estimated Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of 17,000-20,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) by FY 2025.

Economic and infrastructure impact

The Patna-Arrah-Sasaram Corridor is a key infrastructure initiative supporting the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. It will improve connectivity across major economic hubs, including Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, and Varanasi, facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers. By reducing travel time and congestion, the project will boost regional trade, attract investments, and accelerate socio-economic development in Bihar.

(PIB)

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a 4-lane access-controlled corridor connecting Patna, Arrah, and Sasaram in Bihar. The 120.10 km project, which includes both greenfield and brownfield segments, will be developed on the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 37.12 billion. Project highlights • Objective: Reduce congestion and enhance connectivity between Patna, Arrah, and Sasaram, replacing reliance on existing state highways (SH-2, SH-12, SH-81, SH-102), which currently take 3-4 hours due to traffic bottlenecks. • Alignment: The corridor integrates with key national highways, including NH-19, NH-319, NH-922, NH-131G, and NH-120, ensuring seamless connectivity to Aurangabad, Kaimur, and Patna. • Strategic connectivity: Links to two airports (Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan International airport and the upcoming Bihita Airport), four major railway stations (Sasaram, Arrah, Danapur, Patna), and one inland water terminal (Patna). • Employment generation: Expected to create 22 lakh person-days of direct employment and 26 lakh person-days of indirect employment. • Traffic projection: Estimated Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of 17,000-20,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) by FY 2025. Economic and infrastructure impact The Patna-Arrah-Sasaram Corridor is a key infrastructure initiative supporting the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. It will improve connectivity across major economic hubs, including Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, and Varanasi, facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers. By reducing travel time and congestion, the project will boost regional trade, attract investments, and accelerate socio-economic development in Bihar. (PIB)

Infrastructure Urban

27 Oct 2025

Coal Ministry Achieves Milestones under Special Campaign 5.0

The Ministry of Coal and its Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have achieved notable milestones under the Special Campaign 5.0, focusing on cleanliness, operational efficiency, and sustainability across the coal sector. During the implementation phase from 2–31 October 2025, over 1,205 sites were cleaned, covering 68,04,087 sq ft, nearing the target of 82,51,511 sq ft. Scrap disposal of 5,813 MT against a target of 8,678 MT generated Rs 228.7 million in revenue. In addition, 1,11,248 physical and 30,331 electronic files were reviewed, with 74,123 weeded out or closed. Key initiatives showc..

Infrastructure Energy

27 Oct 2025

Vesting Orders Issued for Three Coal Blocks under Commercial Auctions

The Ministry of Coal’s Nominated Authority has issued vesting orders for three coal blocks under commercial coal block auctions on 23 October 2025. The Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) for these mines were earlier signed on 21 August 2025. The three blocks include Rajgamar Dipside (Deavnara), Tangardihi North, and Mahuagarhi. Of these, two are partially explored while one is fully explored, with a combined peak rated capacity of around 1 MTPA and geological reserves of approximately 1,484.41 million tonnes. These mines are expected to generate annual revenue of abou..

Infrastructure Urban

27 Oct 2025

TEC, IIT-Hyderabad Partner to Boost 6G and Telecom Standards

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) for joint research and technical collaboration in advanced telecom technologies and standardisation. The partnership focuses on developing India-specific standards and test frameworks for next-generation networks, including 6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs). It also aims to enhance India’s participation in international standardisation f..