Govt yet to decide on Khokana alignment
KATHMANDU, SEP 03 -
Although the government has intensified the investor selection process for the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track road by inviting a fresh expression of interest (EoI), it is yet to decide whether to build the road through Khokana of Lalitpur.
The government has been exploring alternative routes after it failed to acquire land for the expressway in the Khokana area. Locals have demanded hefty compensations for their land.
As per the proposed route of the 76-km road, 8 km falls in the Khokana area. In the EoI called nearly two months ago, the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management had named the Khokana area as the originating point of the Fast Track. However, the ministry has not shown any urgency to decide on whether to find an alternative route.
A ministry official said a survey report on an alternative alignment has been submitted to the Nepal Planning Commission (NPC) for approval. The proposed change in the alignment passing through Khokana is focused on ending the two-and-a-half year-long impasse.
“Since potential investors are likely to start submitting their EoIs after a few weeks, the ministry must decide on the alignment issue at the earliest,” said a high-level ministry official.
The project will need an estimated Rs 3 billion, if the government agrees to buy land from locals and work as per existing alignment plan in Khokana.
To avoid Khokana, the ministry has been considering bringing the alignment alongside the Bagmati River to the site of the abandoned Himal Cement Factory at Chobhar where a bus park can also be built on the government land.
Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary at the ministry, said they would soon come up with a decision. “We are still trying to go through Khokana, with locals being little positive of late,” he said, adding that the ministry would also decide on an alternative alignment based on the survey report.
Ministry to hold conference
The Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management is preparing to hold a pre-application conference in its bid to interact with potential investors of the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track road, their local partners, representatives or agents. The conference slated for September 9 will hold discussions on the bidding conditions, queries of bidders and the project implementation. “Interested investors can get more information about the project,” said Fast Track Project Manager Kishor Gangol. He added that representatives from four international companies—Reliance Infrastructure, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services, Land Mark Worldwide and Larsen and Turbo (L&T) Infrastructure Development Projects—have so far purchased EoI documents.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
