Mustang. The physical progress of beni-Jomsom-Korala road project of Kaligandaki corridor connecting north and south has reached 84 percent. The Korala Road Project has signed contracts worth Rs 7.90 billion for 43 projects since its inception, of which Rs 6.64 billion has already been awarded.
Project Chief Dhurba Jha said that 43 projects have been implemented since the beginning of the project so far in the current fiscal year. According to him, the project has already constructed 20 roads and 23 bridges up to Maldhunga-Korala border point of Parbat.
According to the Project Office, about 85 percent and 81 percent financial progress has been made in both the road and bridge under the Korala section. Of the 110-km Jomsom-Korala gravel, six sections have already been handed over to the project by the construction company, jha said. According to him, the construction of 25-km charang-chhoser has reached the final stage.
Similarly, three kilometers of blacktopping under Beni-Galeshwor of Myagdi and Kaiku Khanti section of Beni Jomsom iii section have already been blacktopped using asphalt technology and the corridor road has been handed over to the project, said Project Chief Jha.
According to the Project Office, three roads under Beni Jomsom section — Galeshwor-Tatopani, Tatopani Ghasa and Khanti-Jomsom — have reached the final stage of upgradation with blacktopping.
Project Chief Jha said that the project has handed over the road from Kaiku of Mustang to Khanti under the 74-km Beni-Jomsom section to the project, while the project has already handed over the road to the Road Division Office, Baglung. “Out of the 74 km beni Jomsom road, 20 km has been completed. The rest is under construction,” he said.
Out of the 23 bridges under the Kaligandaki Corridor Project, bridges are being constructed at a rapid pace at Kaiku Khola, Larjung Khola, Seto Khola, Ghami Khola and Marfa Khola of Mustang. Information Officer of the project, Bishnu Chapagain, said that all the bridges currently under construction are in the final stage of completion.
Of the Rs 900 million allocated by the government for the current fiscal year, Rs 310 million was transferred to other schemes. Stating that rs 590 million has already been spent on the project, he said around Rs 300 million is yet to be paid to the construction company.
Stating that the Ministry of Finance has added Rs 140 million budget for the current fiscal year, Information Officer Chapagain said that although the budget for the project has been increased in the current year’s expenditure, it has been demanded from the Ministry of Finance to increase the budget again.
“This year’s budget has not been able to pay for the projects that have completed physical progress and we are confident that the Finance Ministry will address the need by adding the budget as soon as possible. If the budget does not come, it may not be possible to work as it will be in the responsibility for the next fiscal year,” he said.
According to the Project Office, 60 per cent physical progress has been made in 13 km maldhunga-Beni section of Parbat, 99 per cent in Galeshwor-Tatopani section and 90 per cent in Khanti-Jomsom road.
According to Project Chief Jha, 85 km of the 105-km Maldhunga-Kagbeni road is going to be completed by the end of the current fiscal year. According to him, 80 km of construction under Beni Jomsom Korala section, considered as a project of national pride, would be completed within the next fiscal year and handed over to the Road Division Office, Baglung.
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