News Brief
Bihar: Land Acquisition Begins For Rs 18,042 Crore Patna–Purnia Expressway
Representative Image (Wikipedia)
The Revenue and Land Reforms Department of Bihar has initiated land acquisition procedures across six districts—Vaishali, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Madhepura, and Purnia for the Patna–Purnia Greenfield Expressway project, Times of India reported.
This follows the receipt of necessary approvals and a directive from Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar Singh, who instructed district magistrates to begin preliminary notifications in coordination with the Central Valuation Committee.
Aimed at reducing travel time from over seven hours to approximately three to four hours between Patna and Purnia, the 90 metre wide expressway will stretch to Chandbhatti village on the Purnia-Kishanganj NH-27. The total estimated project cost stands at Rs 18,042 crore.
An official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) confirmed that Singh’s communication to district authorities also directed them to conduct a revised land valuation in accordance with Section 26(3) of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, based on current market rates.
“In this context, prohibition, excise and registration department has been granted the authority for special revision of MVR (minimum value registered) under Sub-rule 7 of the Bihar Stamp (Amendment) Rules, 2013, in light of the notification,” the official was quoted as saying.
At the request of the state government, additional spurs will connect Samastipur, Saharsa and Madhepura to the main route. A designated speed limit of 120 kmph has been proposed.
The road will also integrate with Patna Ring Road at Dighwara, and improve access to Bihta Airport via a bridge between Dighwara and Sherpur, while providing eventual connectivity to Darbhanga and Purnia airports.
A competent authority has already been appointed by the state to oversee the acquisition process.
