Patna: CM Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday conducted an aerial survey of the damage to Vikramshila Setu over the Ganga at Bhagalpur, where a slab between two pillars collapsed into the river on Sunday night.He later held separate review meetings at Munger and Khagaria. At Munger, he sought updates on the proposed Ganga Paths between Safiabad (Munger) and Sultanganj (Bhagalpur), and between Sultanganj and Sabour. At Khagaria, he reviewed progress on the Mansi (Khagaria)-Saharsa National Highway (NH)-95 and the construction of the Aguwani Ghat-Sultanganj mega bridge, besides assessing plans for development of an airport in Munger. He also issued directives to officers and engineers on both ongoing and proposed projects.On the Aguwani Ghat (Khagaria)-Sultanganj bridge across the Ganga, Samrat directed that the project be completed by next year at any cost. He also instructed that the Mansi-Saharsa NH-05 road be completed by Dec 12 this year, stating after inspection that the road would reduce travel distance and boost tourism in the region.The Ganga Path projects from Safiabad to Sultanganj and from Sultanganj to Sabour are among the govt’s key initiatives. The Safiabad-Sultanganj stretch via Bariarpur and Ghorghat is proposed on the lines of the JP Ganga Path in Patna.At a review meeting at Babuaghat in Munger, road construction department principal secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal gave a presentation covering land acquisition, alignment and ghat redevelopment. The 42-km Safiabad-Sultanganj Ganga Path will be a four-lane road with 11.88 km elevated stretch, to be completed in four years at a cost of Rs 5,327 crore, with 40% funded by the state govt and 60% by the developer.The 41.3-km Sultanganj-Sabour stretch includes 10.56 km elevated road and 30 proposed ghats, with a similar funding pattern and timeline.At Munger, Samrat, accompanied by deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, visited Bihar Yog Vidyalaya and interacted with Swami Niranjananad Saraswati at Paduka Darshan Ashram, and paid obeisance to Tirupati Balaji. In Khagaria, he performed puja at Ma Katyayani temple in Chautham block and reviewed development works. He directed the tourism secretary to ensure proper facilities for visitors.He also directed officials to expedite land acquisition, begin work promptly, and ensure projects aid flood protection. He asked officials to identify land between Safiabad and Bariarpur for a township and industrial units, and to develop Munger airport with night landing facilities.
