Bihar Cabinet Approves Metro Projects in Four Additional Cities

On Thursday, the Bihar cabinet, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, approved metro projects for four additional cities in the state. These cities are Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, and Bhagalpur. This decision comes as Patna Metro, which had its foundation laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 17, 2019, is currently under construction.

During the cabinet meeting, approval was given to the Urban Development and Housing Department's proposal for metro rail projects in the four cities. "The state cabinet approved the Urban Development and Housing Department's proposal pertaining to metro rail projects in Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, and Bhagalpur. Now, feasibility reports will be prepared, after which the detailed project reports (DPR) will be finalized," said S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), addressing reporters after the meeting.

The funding model for these projects will involve the central and state governments each bearing 20% of the costs, while the remaining 60% will be financed by financial institutions, he added.

For the Patna Metro project, the first phase is expected to see five stations operational by March next year. This phase will include 15.36 km of elevated track and 16.30 km of underground track.

In addition to the metro project approvals, the cabinet approved a proposal from the General Administration Department (GAD) to allow different commissions, including the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC), to conduct preliminary examinations for various recruitment exams in two phases if there is a large number of candidates. "It will be entirely up to the commissions to hold preliminary examinations of different recruitment exams in two stages if the number of appearing candidates is large. However, other than preliminary exams, all further examinations will be conducted on a specific date in Patna and surrounding areas," Siddharth said.

The cabinet also approved conducting these exams in both online and offline modes.

Furthermore, the cabinet approved a proposal from the sports department to open sports clubs in all panchayats across the state.

ET