The Patna and Sonepur (Saran) administrations claim to have removed hurdles for constructing approach roads on the either side of the Sonepur-Digha rail-cum-road bridge, but the railways is sceptical.
A part of the land on which the approach road has to be built on the Sonepur side belongs to railways, which is not keen to part with it.
Patna district magistrate (DM) Abhay Kumar Singh said: "An anti-encroachment drive was conducted on land earmarked for the approach road in Digha area on Monday. We've given compensatory land to (around 50) families settled in Bindtoli (at the starting point of the bridge in Digha area) in Kurji and most families have already relocated. Thus, all land-related issues for commencement of movement of traffic from Patna area would be resolved within a couple of days."
Saran DM Dipak Anand said: "Work on clearing land for construction of approach road and railway line has been expedited in the past month. Around 150 houses over an area of 5.5acres in three villages in Sonepur were removed in the past fortnight. Similarly, 17 houses were removed in Chhapra for laying railway track connected to the bridge. Subsequently, work on approach road for the bridge has started in full swing from Sonepur side," Anand said.
Officials in both districts claim it is now for the railways to finish the bridge work by the July deadline. The project got off in 2002 and was supposed to end in 2007.
But part of the land in Sonepur belongs to the railways. Asked about the state government approaching railways for land to build approach road on the Sonepur side, East Central Railway chief public relations officer Arvind Kumar Rajak said: "We've received the proposal, which has been sent to the Railway Board. Now it is up to them."
On condition of anonymity, a senior railway official hinted that the Railway Board would not even entertain the Bihar government proposal. "Railway Board would not okay the proposal because land is very precious and they know that once it goes from their hand, it would never return. So, the state government has to go for permanent solution by purchasing private land, as chances of railway giving its land is bleak."
Around 300 acres were required to build approach road on both sides, for which Rs 326 crore is required. Road construction department divided the work between Bihar State Road Development Corporation (BSRDC) and Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam (BRPNN) Ltd. BSRDC has to construct 12km approach road on the south, that is Patna side, and BRPNN has been given the task of building 5km of approach road on the north or Sonepur side.
In February, during a videoconference Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with Bihar chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, the state had raised the point of not getting land for approach road.
