It will combine major cities including Maukama, Barhiya, Lakhisarai, Jamalpur and Munger, which connects Bhagalpur ahead.On the Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet Committee on Wednesday approved the construction of a four-lane Greenfield access-controlled highway between Maukama and Munger in Bihar, which was at a capital cost of Rs 4,447.38 crore.
It also approved doubling of 177 km Bhagalpur -Dumka -Rampurhat railway line, which extends into Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The cost of this project is around ₹ 3,169 crore, aimed at improving mobility, efficiency and service reliability in one of the busiest railway classes.
Mokama -Mangar Greenfield Highway
Spread up to 82.4 km, this highway is part of the Buxar-Behagalpur High-speed Corridor and will be developed under the Hybrid annuity model (HAM).
It will combine major cities including Maukama, Barhiya, Lakhisarai, Jamalpur and Munger, which connects Bhagalpur ahead. The region is emerging as an important industrial center, hosting an Ordnance Factory in Munger, a locomotive workshop in Jamalpur, and a growing food-processing and warehousing cluster. Bhagalpur is famous for its silk industry and is being developed as a cloth and logistics hub, while Barhia is emerging as a food packaging and agricultural -ware-housing center.
The project is expected to support the rapid freight transport movement, reduce travel time by only 1.5 hours and allow safe travel for both passenger and cargo vehicles with speeds of up to 100 km/h.
Bhagalpur -Dumka -Mapurhat railway line doubles
Doubling of the railway line will increase connectivity in five districts in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, which will improve pilgrimage and access to pilgrimage and tourist destinations such as Deoghar (Baba Baidanath Dham) and Tarapith (Shakti Peeth). Around 441 villages and 2.872 million people, including three aspirational districts – banks, Godda, and Dumka – will directly benefit from better connectivity. The project is expected to promote the capacity of freight from 15 million tonnes per year, which provides facility to transport coal, cement, fertilizers, bricks and stones. As a cleaner mode of transport, this will help reduce logistics costs, saving 50 million liters of oil annually and reduced carbon dioxide emissions to 240 million kg – to plant 10 million trees.
These initiatives are part of the government’s widespread efforts to increase infrastructure and connectivity in the region, aligning with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which focuses on multi-modal transport and better logistics.
