Patna: A 31-member parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture arrived in Patna on Sunday on a three-day visit to Bihar to review air and road connectivity, tourism infrastructure and preservation of the state’s art and cultural heritage.The committee, comprising MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, is chaired by JD(U)’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha. On Monday, it will hold meetings with senior officials from the Centre and Bihar govt on airport expansion, air connectivity, national highways, tourism and heritage conservation. Members will also visit the Bihar Museum.Jha said, “Parliamentary standing committees visit Bihar only rarely, but this committee is coming to Bihar for the first time. We will hold meetings here in Patna and in Gaya on August 24, where we will review various aspects related to roads, airports, culture and tourism in the state.”The committee will travel through the newly constructed Mithapur-Mahuli elevated corridor. The NHAI regional office has written to the Bihar State Road Development Corporation (BSRDC) to ensure arrangements for the team’s movement through the corridor.On Tuesday, the committee will travel to Bodh Gaya for a meeting on tourism infrastructure and its further development. Members will also undertake on-site inspections of major tourist destinations, including Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda.The panel will review the development and maintenance of National Highways in Bihar and hold meetings with officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the state road construction department on ongoing and planned NH works.Air connectivity will also be discussed, with officials from the ministry of civil aviation and the Bihar govt briefing the panel on expansion plans.Jha said he was confident the visit would give fresh momentum to efforts to strengthen road and air connectivity and promote tourism, art and culture in Bihar.Among the Rajya Sabha members are Sudha Murty, G Baburao, Mohammed Nadeemul Haque, Jagesh K Jhala, S Kalyanasundaram, S Phangnon Konyak, Surendra Singh Nagar and Imran Pratapgarhi.
