Patna, Aug. 22: Over half-a-dozen government departments in Bihar have started preparations to formulate concept papers, which would be presented before the World Bank.

The exercise is being undertaken after a five-member team of the World Bank recently (August 16 to 19) visited Bihar during which the departments made a presentation before the team.

“The departments gave presentations on the works they intended to do with the second trench of loan which the World Bank is likely to give to the state for undertaking various projects related to infrastructure and livelihood,” a senior state government official, preferring anonymity, told The Telegraph.

The official said after these presentations, the World Bank team gave certain suggestions on the basis of which the concept papers of different departments would be formulated. “This exercise would be followed by two meetings with the World Bank officials after which the projects would be given final shape,” added the official.

The proposed meetings of the government departments with the World Bank team are scheduled for September and October. The departments, which made presentations before the World Bank team are water resources, minor irrigation, agriculture, animal and fish resources, road construction, rural works and rural development.

The Telegraph on August 4 had reported about the proposed visit of the World Bank team to the state and also the directive given by the government to these departments for making the necessary preparation to apprise the team about the works that the government intended to do with the the financial help from the bank.

Bihar is likely to get $780 million loan from the bank in the second trench. The World Bank has provided a soft loan of $220 million to the state, which is being used to undertake reconstruction work in the Kosi region that was devastated in the deluge of 2008.

During his visit to the state in January this year, World Bank president Robert B. Zoellick had said the organisation intended to provide $1 billion to the state and the $220 million loan was part of this amount. It was during Zoellick’s visit to Bihar that the state government and the World Bank had inked the $220-million loan agreement.

The loan amount is being used in work related to housing reconstruction, rebuilding of roads and bridges, strengthening flood management capacity, livelihood restoration and enhancement, improving emergency response capacity and project management and technical assistance in the Kosi region. Around 1,00,000 houses, 90 bridges and 290km of rural roads would be rebuilt using the loan amount.

Sharing details about the time that would be taken in getting the second trench of the loan, the official said though the bank had sanctioned the first trench very quickly, the release of the second trench might take another six months.

He, however, didn’t make it clear whether the state would try to get the whole amount of the second trench at one go. “It is very difficult to say anything on this front at this stage, as two rounds of discussions are still to be held. Much would depend on how many projects are approved by the team and of what size,” added the official.