The Bihar government today lamented the poor upkeep of National Highways in the state and said it would take up the matter with the Centre soon.
"The National Highways are in bad shape in Bihar. The Centre has provided a meagre amount of Rs 18 crore under non-plan head for maintenance of NHs," Road Construction Department minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan told reporters emerging from Assembly.
"I am planning to meet Union Surface Transport minister Nitin Gadkari after end of monsoon session of Bihar Assembly to take up the matter with him and demand a work plan for upkeep of NHs in the state," Lallan said.
He said he would also raise the pending issue of reimbursement of about Rs 1000 crore which the state government under former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had spent for repair and upkeep of NHs in the state and which the Centre promised to pay back the state.
Bihar has length of 3,537 km Nation highways.
The minister said that the state government under Nitish Kumar had repaired the NHs but after 3-4 years now it has again been worn out causing a lots of problem for commuters.
He said the government has developed a well laid out work plan for state highways with provision that the company building it has to maintain it for five years.
