Japanese bank to fund road project in Bihar

Earlier this year, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni announced a plan to develop the Buddhist circuit by laying world-class road network.

The Japanese Bank of International Co-operation will fund the conversion project of the existing 320 km of bumpy roads into a smooth four-lane highway in Bihar's Buddhist circuit zone, an official said.

The Buddhist circuit includes the famous Bodh Gaya, Rajgrih, Nalanda and Vaishali.

'The Japanese bank has agreed in principle to fund the project in the Buddhist circuit. The state government will submit a feasibility report to the bank by February,' said R.K. Singh, secretary, road construction department Saturday.

The bank has been keen to develop the roads in the Buddhist circuit for the last two years. It is estimated the bank would invest Rs.2 billion in the project.

The news about the funding came when the Buddhist circuit is celebrating 2,550 years of Buddha's Parinirvana. The Unesco had already declared the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, the birthplace of Buddhism, a World Heritage Site in 2002.

The existing roads connecting Buddhist holy shrines in Bihar are in such a bad shape that they discourage foreign tourists to visit them.

'Several foreign tourists have complaints about the bad roads in the state,' said a state tourism official.

Earlier this year, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni announced a plan to develop the Buddhist circuit by laying world-class road network.

She said such a network must be created linking Bodh Gaya, the seat of Buddha's enlightenment, to other Buddhist destinations like Nalanda and Rajgrih.