What PM Modi Will Launch In Bihar And West Bengal Today? Here’s What We Know

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Bihar and West Bengal to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development schemes worth over ₹18,000 crore. The prime minister’s busy schedule reflects not only ongoing new infrastructure construction, but also a political message, with a thematic focus on, connectivity, health care, energy supply, and urban development. The day starts at Gaya, Bihar, and ends with public addresses in both states at Kolkata, West Bengal.

Bihar: Roads, Bridges, Power, and Healthcare in the Limelight

Projects worth close to ₹13,000 crore will be inaugurated in Bihar by Modi. The first destination for Modi will be Gaya, where he will open the highly anticipated 8.15 km-long Aunta–Simaria bridge on NH-31. This comprises a new 1.86 km six-lane bridge over the Ganga, constructed at a cost of ₹1,870 crore. The bridge will straightaway link Mokama in Patna district with Begusarai, reducing travel distances for trucks by over 100 km and de-congesting traffic around the old Rajendra Setu. Authorities also mention that it will enhance access to Simaria Dham, the poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s birthplace.

Besides bridges, Modi will lay the foundation stone for the four-lane Bakhtiyarpur–Mokama section of NH-31, costing ₹1,900 crore, and the Bikramganj–Dawath–Nawanagar–Dumraon section of NH-120, with an objective of improving rural road connectivity. Power capacity is also going to get a boost with the Buxar Thermal Power Plant (660×1 MW) that has been built at a cost of ₹6,880 crore, increasing Bihar’s energy security.

Healthcare remains to be in priority

Healthcare continues to be a top priority, with the opening of the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Muzaffarpur. With an Oncology OPD, ICU, HDU, operation theaters and blood bank, the hospital will increase access to affordable cancer care for patients in Bihar and surrounding states. Urbanization is also on the agenda with sewerage schemes worth ₹520 crore in Munger under Namami Gange, and fresh works planned for Daudnagar, Jehanabad, Barahiya and Jamui. AMRUT 2.0 water supply schemes are also to benefit towns such as Aurangabad, Bodhgaya and Jehanabad.

Railway passengers also have reason to rejoice. Modi will also flag off the Amrit Bharat Express from Gaya to Delhi, featuring new-age facilities, and a Buddhist Circuit Train between Vaishali and Koderma to bring in more tourists to heritage destinations. He will also attend a Grih Pravesh ceremony, distributing keys to Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana beneficiaries, marking new homes for 16,260 families.

West Bengal: New Metro Lines and Howrah Link

In West Bengal, Modi will inaugurate more than ₹5,200 crore worth of projects, with the focus on city connectivity in Kolkata. At Jessore Road station, he will travel in the metro from the airport to the station and vice versa, marking the city’s transit to quicker commutes. The recently opened Sealdah–Esplanade stretch is supposed to slash the travel time from 40 minutes to merely 11 minutes, and the Noapara–Jai Hind Bimanbandar line is supposed to allow smoother connectivity to the airport. The Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay route will connect to the IT hub, which will benefit professionals and daily commuters.

Three new metro lines with a total length of 13.61 km will officially open, bolstering the transport spine for the city. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate a metro subway at Howrah Metro Station and also lay the foundation stone of the six-lane Kona Expressway, a ₹ 1,200 crore, 7.2 km elevated road project. The expressway will add to connectivity among Howrah, Kolkata and its adjoining areas, reduce travel time and enable trade and commerce and tourism.

What to Expect from Modi’s Visit

The prime minister’s visit comes at a politically sensitive moment, especially in Bihar, just before assembly polls. While the message is that development is still the main message through the dedicating of new roads, bridges, hospitals, and power plants, the main theme in West Bengal is urban transformation, and where the metro routes and roadways can transform the life of millions of commuters. 

On Friday, Modi is expected to leave a tangible mark on both states, from the Ganga bridges of Bihar to new metro lines in Kolkata by providing a mix of symbolism, connectivity, and long-term growth.

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