The Bengal government has sought transfer of around 1,500 km of state highways to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). A high-level delegation led by state Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Dr Ajay Poddar will hold a two-day meeting with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in New Delhi on Monday. The proposed transfer covers nearly one-third of the state’s 4,505-km highway network and is intended to accelerate development through central funding. Technical-level discussions will begin on Monday, with a PWD Joint Secretary and three Chief Engineers already in New Delhi for preliminary consultations with ministry officials. The PWD secretary and the minister will join the delegation on Tuesday ahead of a comprehensive meeting with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on the evening of August four. The state government considers enhanced highway connectivity important for industrial investment and regional links. Dr Poddar said the new administration under chief minister Suvendu Adhikari has prioritised expansion of both brownfield and greenfield highway projects and aims to replicate development pace seen in states such as Uttar Pradesh. He indicated the target is to achieve three to four times growth in highway connectivity over the next five years and that the Centre is keen to expedite ongoing and pending national highway projects in the state. National Highways projects worth more than Rs 710 billion (bn) are currently in the pipeline. The initiative follows a May 16 notification from chief secretary Manoj Agarwal transferring seven National Highway stretches to NHAI and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Officials at West Bengal Highway Development Corporation Limited (WBHDCL) said several projects had been stalled for nearly a year, delaying strategic links to Sikkim, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Bihar?West Bengal corridor. Faster implementation is expected to strengthen border infrastructure, improve trade and tourism, enhance logistics and military mobility, and generate fresh economic opportunities across North Bengal.