Patna, July 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Bihar this month and announce a few sops, apparently with an eye on Assembly elections later this year.

BJP sources said the Prime Minister was likely to inaugurate the ambitious Sonepur to Digha rail-cum-road bridge, which connects South and North Bihar. That apart, he is likely to inaugurate the new IIT-Patna campus at Bihta and lay the foundation stone of Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa's new campus at Samastipur.

A senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity: "The Prime Minister is going to visit Bihar by end of this month, but PMO has not fixed the dates yet."

BJP leaders are very enthusiastic about the visit, as Modi is going to inaugurate a few projects. They believe it will yield dividends for the party ahead of year-end Assembly elections.

A BJP leader said: "The Sonepur-Digha project kicked off in 2002 and the project was supposed to be completed by 2007. But, there has been an eight-year delay. The party will highlight reasons behind delay, blaming both the UPA and Nitish Kumar government." The 4.5km-long bridge, when completed, would prove to be a boon for people, connecting Patna with North Bihar.

East Central Railway chief public relations officer A.K. Razak said: "The exact date for inauguration of project is yet to be worked out."

Sources said the railway has completed its work but construction of approach roads on both sides is yet to be completed. Railways are committed to making this bridge functional this year, but problems related to encroachment at Bind Toli on Digha side and Bharanpura on the northern side of the bridge are yet to be resolved.

Modi is also likely to inaugurate the new IIT-Patna campus at Bihta, around 45km southwest of Patna. Spread across 500 acres, then Union human resources minister Kapil Sibal and chief minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone of the campus in 2011.

IIT-Patna registrar Subhash Pandey said: "The Prime Minister is likely to inaugurate the new campus but the institute is yet to receive the date of the PM's visit from PMO." Sources said the IIT-Patna top brass has received a telephonic intimation from the highest quarters in the HRD ministry to be ready for the inauguration by month-end. According to IIT sources, though construction is yet to be completed, the institute is ready to move from its transit campus in Patna.

The Prime Minister is also going to lay the foundation stone of Rajendra Central Agriculture University, Pusa. On January 25 this year, a MoU was signed between Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Agriculture Department, Bihar for conversion of Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa into Rajendra Central Agriculture University, Pusa.