Bhitiharwa (West Champaran): Vowing to change the face of Bihar through development, Railway Minister and RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) president Laloo Prasad today (Oct 2, 2004) said an estimated Rs 19,000 crore have been earmarked for construction of roads connecting over 45,000 villages in the State under the 'PM's rural road scheme' to be executed by central agencies.

The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government at the Centre was irrevocably committed to ushering in a new era of development and would fully cooperate with the Rabri Devi Government in Bihar for its all round growth, he said addressing a function after unveiling a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at an ashram set up by him in Bhitiharwa on the occasion of his 135th birth anniversary.

All the villages in the State would be ''energised'' by 2007 end and steps were underway for creating additional irrigation facilities and improving hydel power generation in active cooperation with Nepal.

He announced that a pair of trains would be introduced between Bhitaharwa and Narkatiaganj railway stations in West Champaran besides converting the rail line between the two stations into broad-gauge. A Novodaya Vidyalaya would also be opened in Bhitiharwa soon.

Laloo also laid the foundation for a 2 km stretch of road between Gaunaha and Narkatiaganj via Bhitiharwa to be built by NHPC.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said five central agencies, including National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited would be entrusted with the task for construction of the roads in Bihar.

Realising that illiteracy lay at the root of the farmers' exploitation, Gandhiji had opened a basic school at Bhitiharwa ashram near Bettiah on November 20, 1917 in the course of the satyagraha.