All the buses would be passing through Uttar Pradesh from areas including Noida, Lucknow, Mathura, Azamgarh and other areas before finally entering Bihar, travelling a distance of nearly 1,000 km on an average. (File photo)Starting this Chhath, the Delhi government is planning to operate interstate bus services to six cities of Bihar. The Transport department on Saturday released a draft agreement for public comments before finalising it. The project is part of the next phase of the rollout of the interstate buses, with Delhi and Bihar set to sign a Reciprocal Transport Agreement, officials said. The public feedback can be submitted by September 5.“We have plans to launch these buses by Chhath this year with over 50 buses. These will be deluxe semi -sleeper buses, and will have both AC and non-AC category,” Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said. Celebrated primarily in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, Chhath is a Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya, believed to be his sister.At present, private buses operate between Delhi and Bihar. However, these are expensive. The government-run buses will be cost-friendly, according to officials.As per the plan, the buses will connect Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Buxar, Purnia, Kishanganj, Madhubani, Champaran, Biharsharif and Bhagalpur in Bihar with Delhi.”Buses shall originate and terminate at designated bus terminals to be allocated by the parties concerned. The timetable for stage carriages plying on the routes shall be fixed after mutual consultation,” the draft proposal states.All the buses would be passing through Uttar Pradesh from areas including Noida, Lucknow, Mathura, Azamgarh and other areas before finally entering Bihar, travelling a distance of nearly 1,000 km on an average.“The long-route buses will be 12 metres long, air-conditioned, and equipped with luggage space. It is not feasible to ply electric buses to far-off locations because of the lack of charging infrastructure, We plan to take buses on a wet-lease model, wherein a concessionaire will come on board and operate the buses for us. These will be BS-VI compliant buses,” an official said.