Jhyalbas-Chormara Road in Nawalpur. (File Photo)
POKHARA: The Gandaki Province Government has given continuity to its plan of building strategically important roads in the budget for the fiscal year 2023/24. The province government has stated its intention to blacktop 300 km of roads in the upcoming fiscal year.
Minister for Economic Affairs of Gandaki Province Government, Jit Prakash Ale, has allocated Rs 11.16 billion for road infrastructure development in the coming fsical year. According to Ale, detailed project reports for the Budhigandaki Corridor, Marsyangdi Corridor, and Shaligram Corridor would be prepared and implemented in the coming year.
Road infrastructure is mentioned as one of the foundations for prosperity in the first five-year plan of Gandaki Province. The plan includes opening, upgrading, and blacktopping roads that connect the administrative centers of local units to the provincial capital in Pokhara.
Furthermore, the construction of the Bhimad-Dedhgaun-Dumkibas-Tribeni road, road infrastructure in all 36 constituencies, and the Pokhara Ring Road are also included in the province government’s five-year plan. Although the construction of the Pokhara Ring Road has not yet commenced, work on other projects is currently underway.
Additionally, the Mugling-Pokhara stretch of the Prithvi Highway is being upgraded, and progress is being made on the Mid-Hills Highway by the federal government.
A major strategic road under construction, connecting Nagdanda-Phalebas-Jaimuni-Galkot, has been considered an alternative route to the Mid-Hills Highway and the Prithvi Highway. This road passes through the administrative centers of four municipalities across three districts: Andhikhola (Syangja), Phalebas (Parbat), Jaimini (Baglung), and Galkot (Baglung). Once completed, the road will significantly reduce travel distances to Sunauli, along the Nepal-India border, and Pokhara by 50 km and 30 km, respectively, for the people of Baglung and Parbat districts.
Road infrastructure is mentioned as one of the foundations for prosperity in the first five-year plan of Gandaki Province. The plan includes opening, upgrading, and blacktopping roads that connect the administrative centers of local units to the provincial capital in Pokhara.
The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management is implementing various road projects as the ‘pride projects’ of the province. One of these projects is the ‘one constituency, one road’ program.
In the current fiscal year, the ministry has allocated Rs 2.15 billion for road projects spanning a total length of 615 km. Out of this, Rs 927.2 million has been spent thus far, according to the Directorate of Infrastructure Development, Gandaki Province.
Another ‘pride project’ of the province government is the construction of a road connecting the administrative centers of all provinces. The total length of this road project, which is being implemented as part of the first five-year plan, is 105 km. Currently, only two out of 85 local units in Gandaki lack road access: Chumnubri Rural Municipality in Gorkha and Narpabhumi Rural Municipality in Manang. For this project, the province government has allocated Rs 645 million in the current fiscal year. However, only Rs 143.1 million has been spent thus far.
The provincial government is also implementing the Shaligram Corridor Road (80 km). The road connects Dasdhunga along the Mulging-Narayanghat Road with Maldhunga in Parbat along the Kaligandaki River.
Construction work is underway on various sections of the 63-kilometer Pokhara-Dedgaun-Dumkibas-Tribeni Road. The road has been labeled as a ‘transformative project’ by the province government. The Khairenitar-Bhimad section of the road is being implemented by the federal government. Otta seal surfacing has been completed on the 11-kilometer Bhimad-Manpur section, and a detailed project report (DPR) is being prepared to upgrade the road to a two-lane road. Additionally, blacktopping work is in progress on the 13-kilometer Manpur-Dedgaun section, and a contract has been awarded for the construction of the 12-kilometer Dedgaun-Jhyalbas section. The six-kilometer Jhyalbas-Chormara section has already been blacktopped.
Ram Prajuli, officiating director of the Infrastructure Development Directorate, Gandaki Province, said that a study is underway to extend the road from Dumkibas to Tribeni near Nepal-India border.
Similarly, the province government is also implementing the Shaligram Corridor Road (80 km). The road connects Dasdhunga along the Mulging-Narayanghat Road with Maldhunga in Parbat along the Kaligandaki River. An allocation of Rs 335 million has been made for this road project, with Rs 103.1 million spent thus far.
199 km of roads built in eight months
The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management has constructed 199 km of roads during the first eight months of the current fiscal year, including 75 km of blacktopped roads, 69 km of gravel roads, and 55 km of unpaved roads.
During the same period in the previous fiscal year (2021/22), the province government had constructed 236 km of roads. In 2021/22, a total of 360 km of roads were built.
