Gangtok, May 17 : The West Bengal government has approved the transfer of seven important national highway stretches to central infrastructure agencies, paving the way for major road development and connectivity upgrades across the state. The move is expected to improve transport links between Bengal and neighbouring regions including Sikkim, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
According to officials, the highway stretches will now come under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) for further expansion, maintenance and infrastructure work. The decision reportedly follows months of administrative delays that had slowed progress on several strategic road projects.
Among the major routes included in the handover are stretches of NH-312 connecting Jangipur, Krishnagar, Bongaon and Ghojadanga, along with sections of NH-31 and NH-33 that serve as vital corridors between West Bengal and Bihar. Authorities believe the upgrades will significantly improve cargo movement, passenger transport and access to border regions.
Several strategically important roads in North Bengal have also been included under the transfer plan. These include the Sevoke–Kalimpong stretch of NH-10, the Hasimara–Jaigaon road leading to the Indo-Bhutan border, and the Siliguri–Darjeeling hill corridor on NH-110. Officials say these routes are crucial for tourism, defence logistics, trade and regional connectivity in the Himalayan belt.
The development comes at a time when the newly formed state administration under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has been pushing for faster infrastructure expansion and closer coordination with central agencies. Recent cabinet decisions have also focused on border infrastructure, administrative restructuring and implementation of central welfare schemes in the state.
Infrastructure experts believe the transfer could accelerate long-pending road widening and modernisation projects, particularly in North Bengal where difficult terrain and rising traffic volumes have frequently led to congestion and maintenance challenges. Improved highway connectivity is also expected to benefit trade routes linking the Northeast, neighbouring Himalayan states and international border points.
Officials indicated that the upgraded corridors may help ease transportation bottlenecks across districts such as Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas, while also strengthening economic activity in border and tourism-dependent regions.
