सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Lamjung. The construction of a two-kilometer road from Campus Gate in Sundarbazar Municipality-7 of Lamjung under the East-West Pushpalal (Mid-Hill) Highway has been stopped. Out of the total 45 km of road in Lamjung under the Mid-Hill Highway, two kilometers from Campus Gate to Khatrithanti and 1,700 meters from Bhorletar Ranipani Chowk to Midim Khola Bridge have been stopped due to obstruction by locals.
According to the Mid-Hill Highway Planning Office, Palungtar Gorkha, the construction had been going ahead with a plan to upgrade the road for a long time. Some locals have obstructed the construction of the road by raising the issue of compensation, road width and possible impact. According to the locals, the demand is that proper compensation should be given as the road expansion will affect their homes and property. Some locals have also put forward a demand to change the design of the road. ‘We are not against development, but proper procedures should be followed,’ said Ram Prasad Pandit of Sundarbazar.
He said that locals of Sundarbazar Bazaar area formed a struggle committee under the coordination of Shreechandra Lamichhane and filed a case against the road construction up to the Supreme Court. ‘Even after two years of filing the case, the Supreme Court has not issued any order,’ he said. Meanwhile, locals have been saying that they will allow the road construction after the Supreme Court’s order. The contractor company’s deadline for road construction is only two months away. Local Raju Neupane said that they have been suffering due to dust and smoke after the road construction was stalled due to the obstruction of locals.
Ishwor Bahadur Rijal, Chief of the Mid-Hill Highway Planning Office, said that the road construction has been in limbo due to the obstruction of some locals. He said that they are prepared to start the work in a week and complete it within two months if there is no obstruction from locals. The Palungtar Planning Office has stated that the road construction will not proceed until the locals’ disputes are resolved. Since the main responsibility for resolving the locals’ disputes lies with the local level, social workers, and local all-party representatives, Chief Rijal emphasized that everyone should sit down and find a solution through discussion.
Sundarbazar Municipality Chief Krishna Prasad Koirala said that there should be no obstruction in the road construction and said that initiatives are being taken to resolve the problem. “All citizens have suffered due to the non-construction of the road. We are taking initiatives to move the work forward by addressing the legitimate demands of the local residents,” he said.
According to Mayor Koirala, discussions are underway among the concerned parties. He informed that efforts are being made to reach an agreement between the local administration, municipal officials, the Road Division Office and the affected locals. The residents of Sundarbazar have demanded that the road construction be resumed as soon as possible. There is a local demand that there should be no delay in improving the condition of the road, which has been in disrepair for a long time.
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