KISHANGANJ, Oct. 8 -- Land acquisition has officially begun in Kishanganj for the Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway, a key project aimed at improving connectivity between Eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Bengal and the Northeast, officials said on Wednesday. The ministry of road transport and highways has issued a notification in the Gazzette of India to acquire land for a 72.5 km stretch of the proposed 519-km Gorakhpur-Siliguri Expressway in Kishanganj. The development marks a key step in the infrastructure project designed to enhance connectivity across Eastern Uttar Pradesh, North Bihar, the Seemanchal region, North Bengal, and the Northeast. Upon completion, the project is expected to reduce travel time for long-distance traffic and enable the movement of goods between key regions. It will also help reduce the transport costs and boost trade and commerce along the corridor, officials said. "Once completed, it will take just ten hours for the people of Sitamarhi, birth place of Mata Sita, to reach Kamakhya Sthan in Assam," an official added. According to the officials, authorities are acquiring land in five villages of three blocks Thakurganj, Bahadurganj and Terhagachh. The landowners have a three-week deadline from the date of the gazette publication to file written objections before the district land acquisition officer in Kishanganj. "After hearing objections, we'll proceed with physical verification boundary demarcation, valuation and compensation disbursement," a senior officer associated with the land acquisition office told HT. He added that the competent authority would hear the objections and provide affected landowners an opportunity to present their case either personally or through an authorized legal representative. "The project map, details of the land, khesra numbers and other relevant documents will also be available for inspection at the office giving land owners or rayots to verify the status of their land," he said. Kishanganj serving as a key transit area between Bihar, west Bengal and Northeast, has been a strategically important place. The expressway is expected to strengthen road connectivity in the district and provide better access for local markets, horticulture produce such as tea and pineapples to other big markets. Besides, the expressway is set to open a bonanza of opportunities for investments and employment in the region. "The Expressway will prove to be a game changer for the region so far stigmatised with backwardness, migration and poverty," social activist Amit Anand who has been raising the issue of development of tourism in Kosi and Seemanchal regions said. The 4-lane wide expressway expandable to six lanes is being designed for a maximum speed limit of 120 kmhour. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 32, 000 crores to Rs 38, 645 crores and is expected to complete by 2028....