Govt delay in acquiring land hits Terai roads project
KATHMANDU, Feb 27:
Though the governments of India and Nepal have decided to speed up implementation of the Tarai roads project, the project has not been able to gain momentum due to government´s delay in acquisitioning land.
“The progress on Terai roads project is disappointing,” said an official at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management (MoPPWTM) said. “The main reason behind this the slow progress in acquisitioning land for the project.”
Hariom Srivastav, joint secretary at the ministry, said progress on the project was very sluggish due to delay in acquisitioning land. “Less then 10 percent work has been completed in over two thirds of the project implementation period,” Srivastav told Republica.
The bilateral meeting between the officials from Nepal and India had taken place in October 2012 aiming to address the problems that had delayed the project.
The government had planned to upgrade 19 different road sections in Kailali, Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Bara, Parsa, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Dhanusha, Jhapa, Morang and Saptari within 30 months. “Twenty months have passed but only 10 percent work has been completed,” Srivastav said.
Indian government had agreed to develop a total of 1,450 kilometer roads in three phases. The road sections that have been selected for the first phase include 27.6 km Lamki-Tikapur-Khakraula road, 61.2 km Sati Bhanjyang - Dhangadhi road, 44.6 km Nepalgunj-Baghauda road, 35.5 km Bhurigaon-Guleria road and 33 km Lamahi-Koilabas road.
Similarly, other road sections that have been selected for the first phase are 39.2 km Tamagarhi-Shimraungarh road, 26.7 km Manmat-Kalaiya-Matiyarwa road and 52.9 km Birgunj-Aura-Thori road.
The 26.9 km Maithan-Gaushalabazar-Samsi road, 40.3 km Barhathwa-Madhubani road, 27.2 km Jaleshwar-Hardi road, 26.6 km Nawalpur-Malangwa road, 32.5 km long Birendrabazar-Yadukuha-Mahinathpur road, 17.1 km Janakpur-Yadukuha road, 12.6 km Janakpur-Jatahi road, Janakpur-Bhittamod road, 39.6 km Charali-Chandragadhi Kechana road, 25.4 km Kanepokhari-Rangeli road and 17.3 km Kalyanpur-Barsain-Subhranpatti road have also been selected for the first phase of the project.
Nepal and India in June 2006 had signed an agreement on expanding and upgrading various road sections in the Tarai.
“The contractor has not been able to carry out project works due to government delay in acquisitioning land,” Srivastav said. An Indian firm, Rites -- the Infrastructure People, has been awarded the contract for implementation of the project.
Source: Republica
