Mumbai, Aug. 28 -- Bihar plans to extend its J P Ganga Path into a 126-km corridor along the Ganga at an estimated cost of Rs 700 billion (bn). The chief minister announced that the corridor will run from Koilwar on the Sone River and form part of a larger riverside development strategy. The project was presented as a means to accelerate infrastructure and urban expansion across the state.
The government said the expansion is intended to attract private investment and generate employment through linked industrial and connectivity projects. Funding was outlined as a mix of government and private resources, with the state expected to provide Rs 200 bn and private entities expected to contribute about Rs 500 bn. Officials described the financing plan as indicative while underlining a commitment to convert agreements into actionable projects.
The existing 21-km J P Ganga Path was reported to have been built at a cost of around Rs 60 bn and was initiated by the previous chief minister in 2013, with completion recorded in 2025. The present chief minister acknowledged the earlier government's role in starting the scheme and said the state had developed the initial stretch using its own funds. He also drew a parallel with other coastal promenades to describe the intended urban transformation.
The announcement arrived amid questions from opposition figures about the financial capacity of a firm that signed a Rs 225 bn memorandum of understanding for a nuclear energy project. Critics pointed to the company's incorporation in February 2026 and to its authorised capital of Rs one million (mn) and paid-up capital of Rs zero point one million (mn) as items requiring scrutiny. The government said it would prioritise converting investment proposals into implemented projects to support economic expansion.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.