Kolkata, 17 May (H.S.): The West Bengal government has granted in-principle approval for handing over seven key stretches of national highways in the state to the National Highways Authority of India and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, paving the way for long-pending road development projects.

According to a press note issued by the Chief Secretary’s office on Saturday night, development work on these stretches had remained stalled due to the absence of formal transfer to the central agencies.

With the approval now in place, the agencies will be able to begin infrastructure work without further delay.

Among the major stretches handed over to the National Highways Authority of India is a 329.6-km portion of National Highway 312 connecting Jangipur, Umarpur, Krishnanagar, Bangaon and Basirhat before reaching the India-Bangladesh border at Ghojadanga.

The authority has also been assigned stretches of National Highway 31 from the Bihar-West Bengal border to Gazole in Malda district and National Highway 33 up to Farakka.

Four other important routes have been transferred to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.

These include National Highway 10 connecting Sevok Army Cantonment, Coronation Bridge and Kalimpong up to the Sikkim border, the Hasimara-Jaigaon road leading to the India-Bhutan border, the Baradighi-Maynaguri-Changrabandha route up to the Bangladesh border, and the hill road connecting Siliguri, Kurseong and Darjeeling.

The state government said completion of these projects would significantly improve connectivity in north Bengal, the Dooars region and the Bihar-West Bengal border areas, besides strengthening transport links with neighbouring Bhutan and Bangladesh.

It added that the decision would accelerate infrastructure development on all seven stretches and provide fresh momentum to national-level road projects in the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey