• 01 Mar 2026

Bihar Rail Expansion Project

• A 1,000 km railway network expansion plan targeted for completion by 2031, with Rs. 10,379 crore allocated in the 2026–27 budget. 

About the Project  

• Around 30 projects to be executed, including doubling of 20 existing rail lines and construction of 10 new lines. 
  • DDU–Patna–Jhajha Corridor: Approval granted for third and fourth railway lines to enhance capacity and reduce congestion. 
  • Punarkh–Kiul Line Expansion:  A 49.57 km third and fourth line project (Rs. 2,668 crore) passing through Patna and Lakhisarai to ease traffic on the Patna–Kiul–Jhajha route and cut travel time. 
  • Other Major Projects Included: Doubling of Samastipur–Hasanpur–Khagaria and Sakri–Faridpur lines; new lines such as Lalitgram–Virpur, Aurangabad–Bihta, Ara–Sasaram extension, along with freight corridor connectivity and improved rail infrastructure in Patna.

Bakhtiyarpur–Tajpur Ganga Bridge Project

• A 5.5 km-long bridge over the Ganges targeted for completion by June 2027, aimed at improving connectivity between North and South Bihar. 

About the Project  

• The bridge will ease traffic pressure on Mahatma Gandhi Setu and Rajendra Setu, reducing frequent traffic jams in Patna. 
• The 16.2 km Chak Lalshahi–Tajpur road section in Samastipur has been completed. 
• The bridge-cum-approach road project has received administrative approval of Rs. 3,923 crore under a PPP model. 
• A total of 45.74 km of roads will be developed, including 41.25 km towards Tajpur (Samastipur) and 4.5 km towards Bakhtiyarpur (Patna). 
• The project will link NH-31 at Bakhtiyarpur with NH-28 at Tajpur, strengthening regional transport networks. 
• It will improve connectivity across major districts of Bihar and provide better links to states like Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Milk Chilling Centre Announced to be Established in Bhojpur

• Recently, a 50,000-litre milk chilling centre was announced to be established in Tarari, Bhojpur district. The project will be set up by Sudha (COMFED). 

About the Centre  

• Around five acres of land have been allotted in the Bihta Industrial Area, with necessary administrative approvals secured. 
• Sudha currently procures about 1.5 lakh litres of milk daily from nearly 32,000 farmers in Bhojpur district. 
• Farmers in Tarari and nearby areas like Karakat, Nasriganj, and Bikramganj lacked proper milk chilling and marketing facilities, leading to losses or lower prices. 
• The new centre will enable local farmers to sell milk nearby, ensuring better prices and reducing transportation costs. 
• Immediate chilling of milk will minimize wastage and improve quality. 
• The centre will include milk testing, storage, and distribution systems, creating a complete dairy infrastructure. 
• The project is expected to create jobs in milk collection, transportation, laboratory services, and packaging.  
• A 50,000-litre per day milk chilling centre will be set up in Tarari (Bhojpur, Bihar) to strengthen dairy infrastructure.