Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a series of development initiatives in Bihar and West Bengal on Friday, launching projects collectively valued at over $1.4 billion. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Bihar alone will receive infrastructure and social welfare investments totaling $866 million, while West Bengal will benefit from projects worth $602 million.
In Bihar’s Motihari, Modi inaugurated and laid the groundwork for multiple developments in the rail, road, technology, rural, and fisheries sectors. Among these, railway enhancements include automatic signaling between Samastipur and Bachhwara, and the doubling of the Darbhanga-Thalwara and Samastipur-Rambhadrapur lines. These upgrades are worth more than $69 million and are aimed at improving train operations and boosting regional connectivity.
Road infrastructure is set to improve with the launch of the Ara bypass project, part of the NH-319 expansion, which will better link Ara-Mohania and Patna-Buxar highways, reducing travel time significantly.
Bihar’s technology sector received a major boost with the opening of new Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) facilities in Darbhanga and Patna. These centers will support startups in IT, IT-enabled services, and electronics, fostering innovation and software exports.
The Prime Minister also introduced fisheries infrastructure under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, establishing fish hatcheries, biofloc units, aquaculture farms, and feed mills to boost employment and aquaculture in rural Bihar.
In a move to enhance mobility, Modi flagged off four new Amrit Bharat trains connecting Patna, Motihari, Darbhanga, and Malda to major cities like Delhi and Lucknow.
Additionally, $48 million was released to support over 61,500 Self-Help Groups under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, empowering women entrepreneurs. Modi also handed over keys to new rural housing beneficiaries and allocated $19.2 million to 40,000 families under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin.
In West Bengal, the Prime Minister initiated major oil, gas, rail, and power projects. This includes a $234 million city gas project in Bankura and Purulia, and the dedication of the Durgapur-Kolkata gas pipeline, part of the $3 billion Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga scheme. He also unveiled $175 million in pollution control retrofits for two thermal power plants, furthering clean energy goals.
