New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a day-long visit to West Bengal and Bihar on Friday, August 22, where he is scheduled to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple infrastructure and development projects aimed at improving connectivity, healthcare, power supply, and urban facilities.
Metro Push in West Bengal
In Kolkata, the Prime Minister will inaugurate 13.61 km of newly constructed metro corridors, significantly enhancing the cityโs transport network. At around 4:15 pm, he will flag off the NoaparaโJai Hind Bimanbandar metro service from Jessore Road Metro Station and also take a ride on the route.
Through video conferencing, he will also inaugurate the SealdahโEsplanade and BeleghataโHemanta Mukhopadhyay metro sections. These new routes are expected to cut travel times drastically โ with the SealdahโEsplanade link reducing the 40-minute journey to just 11 minutes โ and improve access to Kolkataโs airport and IT hub.
At Howrah, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate a newly built subway at the metro station. In addition, he will lay the foundation stone for the 7.2 km six-lane elevated Kona Expressway, a โน1,200 crore project that will enhance connectivity between Howrah, surrounding rural belts, and Kolkata, thereby boosting commerce and tourism.
Infrastructure Boost in Bihar
Earlier in the day, at around 11 am, PM Modi will visit Gaya, Bihar, to launch and lay the foundation stone of development projects worth nearly โน13,000 crore. Among the highlights will be the inauguration of the 8.15 km AuntaโSimaria bridge project on NH-31, including a 1.86 km six-lane bridge over the Ganga built at a cost of โน1,870 crore. The new bridge will decongest traffic from the old Rajendra Setu and reduce detours for heavy vehicles by over 100 km, improving connectivity between North and South Bihar.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the four-lane BakhtiyarpurโMokama section of NH-31 (โน1,900 crore) and improvements to the BikramganjโDawathโNawanagarโDumraon section of NH-120, easing freight and passenger traffic.
Power, Health, and Urban Development
Strengthening Biharโs energy sector, PM Modi will dedicate the Buxar Thermal Power Plant (660 MW, โน6,880 crore), which will increase the stateโs electricity generation capacity and energy security.
In healthcare, he will inaugurate the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre in Muzaffarpur, equipped with modern oncology facilities, ICUs, operation theatres, and labs, aimed at reducing the need for patients to travel outside Bihar for cancer treatment.
As part of the Namami Gange Mission, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Munger Sewerage Treatment Plant and Network worth over โน520 crore and lay foundation stones for sewerage projects in Daudnagar, Jehanabad, Barahiya, and Jamui, along with water supply projects in Aurangabad, Bodhgaya, and Jehanabad under AMRUT 2.0.
Rail and Housing Projects
PM Modi will also flag off two new trains โ the Amrit Bharat Express between Gaya and Delhi, and the Buddhist Circuit Train between Vaishali and Koderma, boosting tourism and religious travel.
Under PMAY-Gramin and PMAY-Urban, a Grih Pravesh ceremony will be held for nearly 16,000 beneficiaries, symbolizing the delivery of affordable housing to rural and urban families.
The Prime Minister is expected to address gatherings in both states, underlining the governmentโs commitment to accelerating infrastructure, urban modernization, and connectivity across eastern India.
