PATNA, April 12 -- Six ambitious road projects worth nearly Rs.41,000 crore proposed by the Bihar government are stuck in limbo as the Centre is yet to give its nod, months after detailed project reports were submitted. The proposals, which include the state's first intra-state expressway and several four- and six-lane corridors, were drawn up following pre-poll promises made by senior NDA leaders during the last Bihar assembly elections. State officials say the projects are crucial for unlocking economic potential in Bihar's backward northern and eastern districts by slashing travel times, easing goods movement and plugging long-standing gaps in the national highway network. Among the schemes awaiting clearance are the 245-km Patna-Purnea Expressway (estimated at Rs.23,000 crore), a bypass in Kaimur district for the Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway to avoid expensive tunnelling through the plateau (around Rs.5,000 crore), and the development of a stretch of NH-727(AA) connecting Patjirwa in West Champaran's Bettiah with Sewarahi in Uttar Pradesh's Padrauna, including a major bridge over the Gandak river (Rs.2,000 crore). Other projects on the list are the four-laning of the Khagaria-Purnea stretch (Rs.4,000 crore), the Muzaffarpur-Sonbarsa four-lane road (Rs.2,000 crore) and the six-lane elevated corridor between Anisabad and Digha in Patna (Rs.5,000 crore). The state road construction department (RCD) forwarded the detailed project reports (DPRs) in phases over the past six months, acting on assurances from the Centre. However, the proposals have not moved past the initial scrutiny stage. They are yet to be cleared even by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), chaired by the secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India. Senior RCD officials are now looking to the newly reconstituted state government-formed after chief minister Nitish Kumar stepped down from the post and moved to the Rajya Sabha-to push New Delhi for early clearances and funding. Once the Centre gives the green signal, the state will begin the politically sensitive and expensive process of land acquisition. A senior officer in the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) confirmed that the PPP Appraisal Committee had discussed the Patna-Purnea Expressway proposal along with the Deedarganj-Anisabad elevated road project early last month. "The state government has been asked to furnish clarifications on several issues. The committee is likely to take up the proposals for approval in its next meeting," the officer said. RCD minister Dilip Jaiswal told Hindustan Times that minor alignment issues on the Patna-Purnea Expressway would be resolved shortly. "We will hold discussions with MoRTH officials either later this month or early next month to get the projects cleared by the PPP Appraisal Committee. After that, the fresh proposals will be sent for Union Cabinet approval. Land acquisition can start only after the Cabinet nod," Jaiswal said. The Patna-Purnea Expressway, billed as Bihar's first intra-state expressway, has been planned in three packages under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM): Mirnagar Arazi to Bhiraha (84 km), Bhiraha to Saraunja (52 km) and Saraunja to Hansdah (108 km). Under HAM, the private developer bears roughly 60 per cent of the project cost, while the government provides the remaining 40 per cent. The developer recovers its investment along with interest through toll collections. Officials in Patna argue that these projects are not mere election-time promises but long-overdue infrastructure interventions for the development of the state. Bihar, despite being one of the fastest-growing states in recent years, continues to lag in road connectivity, especially in the Seemanchal and Mithilanchal regions. Better links with Uttar Pradesh and the national highway grid are seen as essential for boosting trade, attracting investment and creating jobs in areas that have historically felt left behind. The delay has come at a time when the state has been aggressively pitching large-scale road development under the NDA umbrella to bridge its infrastructure deficit. How quickly the new government in Patna can nudge the Centre will decide whether these projects finally take off or remain on paper....