Why in News? 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, on September 24, 2025, approved the construction of a four-lane greenfield highway on the Sahebganj-Areraj-Bettiah section of National Highway (NH) 139W in Bihar. The project has a total capital cost of ₹3,822.31 crore and is a major push for infrastructure and regional economic development in North Bihar, aiming to significantly cut travel time and boost connectivity up to the Indo-Nepal border.

Key Points

• Project Details: The project involves the construction of a four-lane greenfield highway section of NH-139W.
• Stretch: The road covers the 78.942 km long Sahebganj-Areraj-Bettiah section.
• Funding Model: It will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
• Connectivity: The highway will enhance connectivity between the state capital Patna and Bettiah, linking North Bihar districts like Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, and West Champaran to the Indo-Nepal border.
• Time Reduction: The project is projected to reduce travel time between Sahebganj and Bettiah from approximately 2.5 hours to about 1 hour.
• Economic & Tourism Linkage: It aligns with the PM Gati Shakti initiative, connecting seven economic nodes, eight logistic nodes, and nine major tourism/religious centres, including the Kesariya Buddha Stupa and Someshwarnath Mandir, thereby strengthening the Buddhist tourism circuit.
• Employment Generation: The project is estimated to generate substantial direct and indirect employment, close to 32 lakh man-days.

Important Terms

• CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs): A high-level committee of the Union Cabinet responsible for reviewing and approving economic policy and infrastructure proposals.
• Greenfield Highway: A road project constructed on a new alignment or untouched land, as opposed to expanding an existing road (brownfield).
• Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM): A public-private partnership (PPP) model where the government contributes a percentage (usually 40%) of the project cost during construction, and the remaining amount is paid as annuity payments to the developer over the concession period.
• PM Gati Shakti: The National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, launched to create integrated and seamless infrastructure connectivity.