Begusarai (Bihar) [India], August 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Friday inaugurated the Aunta-Simaria bridge project constructed over the River Ganga on National Highway 31 in Begusarai.
Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, and Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Sinha and Samrat Choudhary also attended the inauguration ceremony.
The 8.15-km-long project includes a 1.86-km-long six-lane bridge, built at a cost of over Rs 1,870 crore. The bridge is expected to significantly reduce the extra travel distance of more than 100 km for the heavy vehicles moving between North Bihar districts such as Begusarai, Supaul, Madhubani, Purnea, and Araria, and South Bihar areas including Sheikhpura, Nawada, and Lakhisarai. The bridge will also help decongest traffic in other parts of the region caused by the earlier detour these vehicles had to take.
Prime Minister Modi also held a roadshow and greeted the public during his visit to Begusarai, Bihar.

Speaking to ANI, Begusarai District Magistrate (DM) Tushar Singla termed the day historic for the region.

"Today is a very big day not only for Begusarai but for the whole of Bihar. It is a matter of pride for the people of Begusarai as PM Modi arrived here...The bridge has been inaugurated by PM Modi...The bridge will provide direct connectivity between Mokama in Patna and Begusarai...This is a very big engineering project..." he said.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for several development projects in Bihar's Gaya district.
Addressing a public rally in Gaya Ji, Prime Minister Modi launched a scathing attack on the "corrupt" Opposition, further criticising the rule of previous governments of the RJD and the Congress in the State.
"Remember the condition here during the rule of lantern (RJD). This region was in the clutches of the Red Terror. Cities like Gaya Ji were in darkness during the rule of 'lantern' (RJD)... They had pushed the entire state into darkness. There was no education or employment. So many generations were forced to migrate. RJD considers the people of Bihar only as their vote bank. They want nothing to do with their life, sorrows, or respect," the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Modi also flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express from Gaya to Delhi.
Speaking at the launch, the Prime Minister said the Amrit Bharat Express is the third modern train introduced in the country after the Vande Bharat and Namo Bharat trains, adding that this "tri-power" will transform Indian Railways.
The Amrit Bharat Express is a new-generation train offering state-of-the-art facilities at an affordable cost. A total of nine Amrit Bharat trains are currently operational across the country, including on routes such as Darbhanga-Anand Vihar Terminal, Saharsa-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Rajendranagar Terminal-New Delhi, Bapudham Motihari-Anand Vihar Terminal, Darbhanga-Gomtinagar, Malda Town-Gomtinagar, Sitamarhi-Delhi and Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru.
This indigenous train strengthens the spirit of self-reliant India, whose identity is rooted in three key aspects, including passenger convenience, energy saving, and environmental awareness.
Amrit Bharat Express is also very safe from a technical point of view. Equipped with the Kavach system, this train has been fitted with a semi-automatic coupler, a crash tube and an EP-assisted brake system, so that immediate braking can be done in case of emergency.