Meanwhile, its highways are stuck too

Responding to a calling attention motion by RJD MP Raghunath Jha, the Minister said they had identified 890 km national highways for four-laning.

He added increasing the maximum viability gap funding may elicit favourable response from potential bidders.

“Therefore, a proposal for increasing the maximum limit of viability gap funding from the existing 40 per cent to 60 per cent, subject to the state government providing land needed for the project, is under consideration of the Central government,’’ he said.

Baalu admitted that Bihar had the country’s worst roads, with some stretches of national highways nothing but fields. Criticising the BJP-led NDA government, the minister said 1999 to 2004 saw just 583 kms of single lane roads in Bihar being declared national highways.

The Minister said during the 9th and 10th Plans, a total of 2,373 km state roads were declared national highways. These were mainly single/intermediate lanes and were in a dismal condition when handed over to the Centre, he said.

He listed annual floods in North Bihar, lack of capable contractors, erratic supply of bitumen, delay in award of works, law and order, and overloading of vehicles as “major hindrances’’ to the improvement of national highways in Bihar.