World Bank approves USD 235 million for Bihar Rural Roads Project

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors in December 2016 approved USD 235 million for the Bihar Rural Roads Project.

The project aims at improving and effectively managing Bihar’s rural road network. It will also suggest better contract management practices to avoid time and cost over-runs.

The fund will support the construction of about 2500 km of rural roads under the Mukhiya Mantri Gram Sampark Yojana (MMGSY).

The roads under the project will be constructed using cost-effective designs and will also incorporate engineering measures that ensure road safety.

Key highlights of the project

• After the completion of the project, around 1.2 million people will be able to access all-weather road. A majority of these people belong to the poor and vulnerable sections of society.

• 30% of the people, who will benefit from the project, live below the poverty line and about 48% of them are women.

• The project will also create direct employment of about 20 million person days for local labourers through a rural road construction and maintenance program.

• Under the project, climate resilient and cost-effective engineering designs will be used. Local materials and industrial by-products will be used to construct the roads.

• It will also use the alluvial sand that gathers on large tracts of farmable land after floods. It is expected that the step will save more than 25% in construction costs for rural roads.

• The Rural Works Department of Bihar will undertake a climate vulnerability assessment of the existing rural road network. The department will focus on floods and include suitable remedial measures in its road design, construction and maintenance program.

• The Bihar Rural Roads Project will also carry out simple road safety audits during the design and construction stage. In addition, it will also consult local communities to identify their requirements for any road safety enhancements.