Patna, June 8: The Bihar cabinet today gave its nod and sanctioned more than Rs 2,000 crore for the construction of a 552.293-km two-lane road on the India-Nepal border from Gobaria village in West Champaran to Galgalia in Kishanganj.

The central and the state governments would jointly carry out the project, which would benefit not only the residents in the area but also Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which has been entrusted with the task of keeping vigil on this porous international border.

The state government will bear 53 per cent of the total expenditure, while the Centre will bear 47 per cent. Ravikant, the principal secretary of the cabinet co-ordination committee, said: “The state cabinet today sanctioned Rs 2,552.86 crore for the construction of 552.3-km two-lane road on the India-Nepal border that will run parallel to the East-West Corridor.”

Ravikant said the amount would be spent on the construction of culverts and bridges, land acquisition, utility shifting and environment clearance.

Pratyaya Amrit, the principal secretary of the road construction department, said: “The work on the project will start in November this year. It will pass through all major districts on the Nepal border.”

The districts through which this road would pass include East Champaran, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj.

Amrit said the work would be completed by 2015-16.

The cabinet also gave its nod to the creation of an additional post in the technical cadre of the road construction department.

The cabinet also gave permission for hiking the interest rates on deposits under Public Provident Fund to 8.6 per cent from existing 8 per cent for state government employees.

The revised interest rate will be effective from December 1, 2011 on the deposits.