Road connectivity in Jharkhand has been a reason to worry. This may have led Chief Minister Hemant Soren to announce in August this year to take help of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for building six bypasses and upgrade five others. Now when the Cabinet has approved the proposal for the second phase projects being run in the State by the ADB, the infrastructure sector is all set to get the much needed boost.
The Cabinet, in its Thursday meeting, okayed nine road projects costing more than `2,036 crore in total. The Bank would provide loan for the nine bypasses and roads. “After getting the approval, a detailed project report would be prepared and sent to the Government of India for its approval. Areas such as Dumka, Chaibasa, lohardaga etc would be benefited by the project,” said Chief Secretary RS Sharma.
The bypasses and roads approved are Dumka-Hansdiha (52 km), Chiabasa Bypass (12.6 km), lohardaga Bypass (10.80 km), Giridih-Srawan Road (54 km), Godda bypass (14.98 km), Pakur Bypass (7.30 km), Pakur Bypass (7.30 km), Sahebgunj-Bodeo (38 km), Khunti-Tamar (66.20 km) and Govindpur- Tundi- Giridih Road (79.20 km). Total length of the road is 335 kilometers.
The stretches such as Dumka-Hansdiha would be till Bihar border. While the six bypasses will come up along the main towns of Chaibasa, lohardaga, Godda, Pakur, Khunti and Giridih; providing desired fillip to the road sector. According to road construction department, the work, to be undertaken under the second phase of ADB-sponsored projects, would be followed by already in-progress upgradation of Govindpur-Dumka-Jamtara-Sahebganj road.
“We are expecting that with all proposition the projects would start by next fiscal year. Budgetary allocations after getting central approval may take place in the next financial year,” said a senior official of Jharkhand State Road Project.
“The improved roads will become a backbone of the northeastern part of the State, and connect it to National Highway 2 (NH2), the state’s main highway, and to the larger national highway network. The Project will also enhance the project management skills of the officials of the Road Construction Department (RCD) of the state government of Jharkhand (GOJH) through involvement in activities that are central to project management, such as project design, implementation planning, procurement, land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation, environmental management, utility shifting, contract management, and financial management. This will be replicated by RCD for future road improvement projects,” says a document of ADB related to the project.