Bihar announces Rs 70,000 crore Marine Drive expansion along Ganga
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced a plan to develop a 126-kilometre Marine Drive along the Ganga, with an estimated investment of Rs 70,000 crore. The announcement was made at the concluding ceremony of the Employment Fair (Rojgar Mela) at Gyan Bhavan near Gandhi Maidan in Patna, according to ANI and The Economic Times.
The project will involve Rs 20,000 crore from the Bihar government and Rs 50,000 crore from private entities, Choudhary said. The event was organised by the Department of Youth, Employment and Skill Development and included the distribution of offer letters to candidates selected by various employers.
Choudhary said the existing Marine Drive in Patna stretches for around 21 kilometres, was initiated by former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in 2013, and was completed in 2025 at a cost of around Rs 6,000 crore. "You can see the Marine Drive here now. Mumbai built its Marine Drive back in 1970. Nitish Kumar initiated this project in 2013, and it was completed by 2025," he said, as per ANI.
The Chief Minister said the earlier project was executed using the state's own resources and that the government had now decided to expand it further. "This time, we are starting from Koilwar on the Son River and extending the project along the entire stretch of Ganga. We have approved the construction of a Marine Drive spanning approximately 126 kilometres, involving an investment of around ₹70,000 crore," Choudhary said, as quoted by The Economic Times.
He added that the Bihar government would contribute Rs 20,000 crore to the project, while private entities would invest Rs 50,000 crore and generate employment opportunities. "At the same time, we need to open up new avenues. Therefore, we have decided to establish facilities across various sectors—whether related to employment or infrastructure," he said, according to The Economic Times.
The announcement follows a series of investment and infrastructure-related proposals outlined by Choudhary in recent weeks. At the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, Choudhary said Bihar was moving from an agriculture-dominated economy towards manufacturing, education, tourism, transport and inland waterways. He outlined plans for industrial corridors and integrated four-lane roads along the Ganga, Gandak and Kosi rivers. Choudhary set a target of attracting investments of up to Rs 5 lakh crore by November this year.
He also said that more than 53 lakh people had received government jobs and employment opportunities by 2025, and a fresh target has been set to provide jobs and employment opportunities to one crore people over the next five years. The government is seeking investment in sectors including food processing, agro-industries, semiconductors and Global Capability Centres.
A policy brief cited in Down To Earth estimated that a 200 MW data-centre ecosystem could attract nearly $4 billion in investment and generate around 51,500 jobs by 2035. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav questioned the financial capacity of Global Renewable Advanced Clean Energy Private Limited, which signed a Rs 22,500-crore MoU related to the nuclear energy sector. Yadav pointed to the company's incorporation in February 2026 and its authorised capital of Rs 10 lakh and paid-up capital of Rs 1 lakh.
Earlier today, Choudhary participated in an event organised in Bhagalpur through video conferencing and reviewed arrangements related to the Shravani Mela. He said the Shravani Mela involves a journey of approximately 100 kilometres spanning Bhagalpur, Munger and Banka. He commended the residents of Bhagalpur, Banka and Munger for warmly welcoming pilgrims.