Mamata to launch Rs 8,487-crore project for constructing 20,000 km of roads

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est Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will on Thursday inaugurate one of the state's largest road projects, launching work for the construction of over 20,000 km of new roads across the state under the 'Pathashree' and 'Rastashree' schemes, months ahead of the assembly polls, an official said. The rollout of the project will be the centrepiece of her one-day visit to Nadia during the day. She will also address a political rally. "The chief minister will launch the initiative at an administrative programme at district headquarters Krishnanagar in the afternoon. The project, funded entirely by the state exchequer, is worth Rs 8,487 crore," the bureaucrat said. Over 20,000 km of roads will be constructed across rural and urban West Bengal, with 15,011 km of rural roads to be built in rural areas at a cost of Rs 6,987 crore, he said. A total of 5,019 km of roads will be built in urban areas under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) at a budget of Rs 1,500 crore, he said. The state cabinet recently cleared the project and the government launched a separate tendering portal to fast-track work. "The construction is expected to begin in January," he added.