Bengal government gives nod for handover of seven national highway stretches to NHAI, NHIDCL

Kolkata: The West Bengal government gave in-principle approval for handing over seven stretches of national highways to the NHAI and the NHIDCL, paving the way for long-pending infrastructure works on key road corridors in the state.

These stretches were under the national highway wing of the state's Public Works Department (PWD), and the handover proposals had been pending for nearly a year despite repeated requests from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, according to an official statement.

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The press note issued by the chief secretary's office on Saturday said, "Development works on these stretches stood stalled in the absence of a formal handover. With today's clearance, the central agencies can move forward without further delay."

Among the stretches handed over to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are 329.6 km of NH-312 connecting Jangipur, Omarpur, Krishnagar, Bongaon and Basirhat up to Ghojadanga along the India-Bangladesh border, besides NH-31 from the Bihar-West Bengal border to Gazole, and NH-33 up to Farakka.

Four other stretches, including the Sevoke Army Cantonment-Coronation Bridge-Kalimpong-West Bengal-Sikkim border route under new NH-10, have been handed over to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), the note stated.

The other corridors include the Hasimara-Jaigaon stretch up to the India-Bhutan border, the Baradighi-Mainaguri-Changrabandha route up to the Bangladesh border, and the Siliguri-Kurseong-Darjeeling hill road.

The state government said that infrastructure works on the seven stretches would strengthen connectivity to Sikkim, Bhutan and Bangladesh, while improving links between north Bengal and the Dooars.

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These projects are also expected to improve the Bihar-West Bengal corridor through Malda and Murshidabad and boost connectivity in Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts up to the Bangladesh border at Ghojadanga.

"With these approvals, the state government has cleared the way for the central agencies concerned to commence development works on all seven stretches," the statement said and described the move as part of efforts for "coordinated execution of critical national infrastructure projects".