India Cabinet approves multi‑billion‑rupee highway upgrades across Bihar, Odisha and Telangana

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved three major highway projects covering three states. In Bihar, a 143.5‑km upgrade of the Khagaria‑Purnea stretch of NH‑31 and NH‑231 will be built to a four‑lane standard on a BOT toll model at a cost of Rs 3,936.05 crore, adding a greenfield bypass around Purnea and linking five Gati‑Shakti economic and logistic nodes.

In Odisha, a 160.18‑km coastal highway from Rameshwar to Paradeep will be constructed under the Hybrid Annuity Model for Rs 8,300.79 crore, with a four‑lane segment to Konark and a two‑lane segment with paved shoulders to Paradeep, aiming to cut travel time by about 2 ½ hours and reduce fuel use and emissions.

In Telangana, two NH widening projects – Armoor‑Jagtial‑Mancherial on NH‑63 and Jagtial‑Karimnagar on NH‑563 – will add 190.76 km of four‑lane roads at a total cost of Rs 7,597.16 crore, improving connectivity across Nizamabad, Jagtial, Mancherial and Karimnagar districts and shortening travel times by up to 1 ½ hours. All projects are expected to boost regional mobility, socio‑economic development and logistics efficiency.