PATNA/GAYA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gaya on Friday to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for a host of development projects worth over ₹13,000 crore across Bihar. The visit holds both administrative and political significance, especially for the Magadh region, where the ruling NDA has faced electoral challenges in recent years.
The projects span key sectors including roads, power, health, urban development, and water supply. During his visit, PM Modi will also flag off the Amrit Bharat Express between Gaya and Delhi, and the Buddhist Circuit Train connecting Vaishali and Koderma.
Major Infrastructure Push
After addressing a public rally around 11 a.m. in Gaya, the Prime Minister will proceed to Simaria, where he will inaugurate the 8.15-km-long Aunta–Simaria bridge project on NH-31, including a 1.86-km-long six-lane bridge over the Ganga, constructed at a cost of over ₹1,870 crore. This bridge offers direct connectivity between Mokama (Patna) and Begusarai.
“This is the widest extra-dosed bridge in Asia, with a 34-metre-wide deck, supported by 18 pillars. Its segmental structure and cantilever arms ranging from 57 to 115 metres exemplify cutting-edge engineering,” said M.L. Yoetkar, Regional Officer of NHAI.
RCD Minister Nitin Nabin, who inspected the site ahead of the inauguration, added that the bridge includes landscaped rotaries on both ends and will significantly reduce travel distance — by over 100 km — for heavy vehicles traveling between north and south Bihar.
Other Key Projects to Be Inaugurated
- Four-lane Bakhtiyarpur–Mokama section of NH-31, built at a cost of approx ₹1,900 crore
- Buxar Thermal Power Plant (660×1 MW), constructed at a cost of ₹6,880 crore, aimed at meeting the region’s rising electricity demand
- Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre in Muzaffarpur, equipped with OPD and IPD wards, modern laboratories, operating theatres, a 24-bed ICU, and blood bank
- Sewerage treatment plant (STP) and network in Munger under the Namami Gange mission, worth ₹520 crore, to reduce pollution in the Ganga
Urban Development Initiatives
PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for multiple urban infrastructure projects valued at around ₹1,260 crore, including:
- STPs and sewerage works in Daudnagar (Aurangabad), Jehanabad, and Barahiya (Lakhisarai)
- Water supply projects in Aurangabad, Bodh Gaya, and Jehanabad under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme
Additionally, as part of the ‘Grih Pravesh’ ceremony, he will symbolically hand over keys to 12,000 rural beneficiaries under PMAY-Gramin and 4,260 urban beneficiaries under PMAY-Urban.
Political Stakes in Magadh Region
The PM’s visit is politically significant, especially for the Magadh division, comprising 26 assembly and four Lok Sabha seats. The region has proven to be a weak spot for the NDA in both the 2020 state assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
In 2020, the JD(U) failed to win a single seat in the five Magadh districts, while HAM(S) won three out of ten it contested, partly offsetting the damage caused by party founder Jitan Ram Manjhi’s shock defeat in Makhdumpur. Manjhi, however, won from Imamganj.
Local NDA leaders, including Lav Singh (JD-U) and Akhauri Niranjan (BJP), are hopeful that Modi’s visit will reinvigorate the party base. They aim to replicate the NDA’s 2010 performance, when the alliance nearly swept the region.
“PM Modi’s presence, along with the launch of key infrastructure projects, will send a strong message of governance and intent,” said an NDA leader. “It is expected to energise the cadre and help the alliance regain lost ground in this politically crucial region.”
Following his Bihar visit, the Prime Minister will fly to Kolkata to inaugurate new metro services later the same day.
