Calcutta, Feb. 20: Mamata Banerjee's Bengal government today signed an agreement with Bihar to introduce new inter-state bus services across 45 routes with 10 buses on each route on either way.

Some of the new routes include Raxaul to Siliguri via Motihari and Darbhanga, Wazirganj to Calcutta via Hazaribagh, Patna to Howrah via Gaya and Asansol and Biharsharif to Calcutta via Dhanbad.

The move would pave the way for 1,200 buses to ply on these routes. Bengal government sources said the agreement was aimed at addressing the demands of a large section of population hailing from Bihar who prefer bus to train.

"It is also a step towards strengthening mutual respect between Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar," said a senior official of the finance department soon after the agreement was formally signed today.

"There was high demand at both ends for more bus connectivity and this agreement would help in doing away with vested groups which were opposing the introduction of new-age buses between the two states."

Sources in the Bengal transport department said since 2010, only 20 and odd buses used to run between Bihar and Bengal riding on "temporary permits" though there was scope for running more buses in response to a rise in demand.

"This agreement would now offer more options to those who earlier would have to travel in overcrowded buses to reach their respective destinations in Bihar and Bengal," said Alapan Bandopadhayay, the Bengal transport secretary.

"More buses mean more employment as well, considering at least six persons are required to run a bus over such a long distance."

The distance between Patna and Calcutta is around 560km. Bihar principal secretary-cum-commissioner of tax and commerce Sujata Chaturvedi was present at the event marking the signing of the mutual agreement with Bandopadhayay.

Bengal has been trying for some time now to work out an agreement to start inter-state bus services with several states, including Odisha, Assam and Jharkhand but Bihar was the only one with which it was successful.

"Jharkhand has agreed in offering a corridor facility for movement of these inter-state buses. But it is yet to agree on starting bus services with us," said the finance official.

"Both Bengal and Bihar wanted to capitalise on the good condition of NH-2 with this bus service."

Bengal's first such agreement with Bihar was signed back in 1988 but with Jharkhand emerging as a new state, several bus routes had to be realigned, while many lost their relevance.