16 Bengal roads, including border corridors, set for national highway upgrade
The Centre has started the process to upgrade 16 West Bengal state highways totalling 2,000 km into national highways, boosting infrastructure and border connectivity.
The Centre has begun the process of upgrading 16 state highways in West Bengal to national highways after Public Works Minister Ajay Poddar presented a proposal to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, according to government sources. They said the Centre has responded positively to the state’s request to upgrade these 16 roads, totalling about 2,000 km.
A senior Public Works Department (PWD) official said, “It is now just a matter of time. We believe the process will start on the ground within a couple of months. It is a positive part of a ‘double-engine’ government. It not only improves West Bengal’s infrastructure and road-transport system but also helps reduce the cost of maintaining such roads. We can then concentrate on more remote areas’ roads with those expenditures.”
He added, “The state government is desperately trying to do rapid industrialisation and employment generation in the state. To do that, infrastructural development is very important. If 16 important state highways become national highways, it will remarkably increase the infrastructural strength of the state.”
According to the state administration, these 16 important roads are spread across the state. The most important among them is the road connecting the border areas of Malda-Gour and Mahadipur. If these roads are declared national highways, their importance will increase significantly, and they will receive higher priority for expansion and maintenance.
Additionally, the state has requested that the border road connecting Chakdaha, Bongaon, and Petrapole be designated as a national highway. The list of roads includes Durgapur-Bankura, Purulia-Barakar, Mohammad Bazar via Sainthia to Kandi, and the road from Asansol Jubilee More to Jamtara Road.
An official said, “Border roads have become important as the political situation of Bangladesh has become volatile in recent days. West Bengal borders not only Bangladesh but also Nepal and Bhutan. So, border roads in West Bengal are also strategically important.”
State administration sources said an industrial estate is being developed in Raghunathpur in Purulia. In that context, a senior official said that upgrading the Purulia-Barakar Road to a national highway is important.
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The list also includes the road connecting to the pilgrimage site Gangasagar, and the state government has already allocated funds to build the proposed Gangasagar bridge.
Incidentally, soon after coming to power, the government transferred responsibility for overseeing the state’s seven national highways from the Public Works Department’s National Highways wing to the National Highways Authority and the National Highways Development Board.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
