Patna, Oct 8 (IANS): Bihar Urban Development and Housing Minister Nitin Nabin on Tuesday claimed that 74 projects under the Smart City Mission have been completed in the state and the remaining projects would be completed within the next five months.
Speaking to the media in Patna, he revealed that a total of 129 projects fall under the Smart City Mission, with 70 per cent of the remaining 55 projects also completed.
One of the flagship initiatives of the mission is the Patna Metro project. Nabin highlighted the 6.5 km priority corridor with five stations — starting from the Patliputra bus terminal and extending to Malahi Pakadi via Zero Mile, Bhutnath, and Khemnichak.
“The construction of the priority corridor is moving swiftly, signalling significant progress for the city's infrastructure development,” he said.
Nitin Nabin provided further details on the ambitious Patna Metro Rail Project, emphasising that the total project spans 32.5 km, with 25 proposed stations—12 elevated, 12 underground, and one Grade Transit station. The total cost of the project is estimated at ?13,365.77 crore. The metro will have two main corridors: the first, 17.93 km long, will run from Danapur Cant to Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg near Bailey Road, while the second, 14.57 km long, will connect Patna Railway Station to the Patliputra bus stand. The Bihar government has so far transferred ?4,296 crore to the project.
The Patna Metro is a key initiative of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the government is aiming to complete at least the 6.5 km corridor before the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
Nabin also mentioned that metro projects are proposed for other major cities in Bihar, including Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, and Gaya, as part of the state's urban development plan.
Additionally, he discussed the ongoing construction of the subway between Bihar Museum and Patna Museum, with a budget of ?542 crore. The Patna Metro Rail Corporation is handling this project, and ?75 crore has already been transferred to the construction company.
Nabin highlighted that Patna, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, and Bihar Sharif have been selected by the central government for development under the Smart City Mission. Key projects under this mission include road over bridges, multilevel car parking, sewage treatment plants (STPs), riverfront development, and improvements to cremation grounds, all aimed at transforming the urban infrastructure in these cities.