Finance Minister Mahat assures budget to protect Devghat from landslides

By Basanta Parajuli,Devghat, Oct. 8: Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat has assured budget allocation from the federal level to construct the necessary infrastructure to protect Devghat, a religious site in Chitwan district, from floods.

Minister Mahat made the assurance when he met officials and priests of Devghat Dham during his visit to the religious site for worship on Saturday.

“It is the responsibility of all three tiers of the government and the citizens to protect, conserve and promote Devghat Dham. I learnt that the religious site is at risk of landslides. The federal government will allocate more budget to construct infrastructures and protect the site,” said Minister Mahat. He also apologised for less budget allocation for Devghat and assured that enough budget will be allocated for the embankment to protect this religious site.

After the 2015 earthquake, some portion of the hill of Devghat near the Trishuli River cracked and a portion eroded after a month. “The landslide had swept away 13 houses and around nine ropanis of land at that time,” said Ananta Shree Bibhushit Mahamandaleshwor Swami Aatmananda Giri, chief priest of Galeshwor Ashram.

Giri stressed that the cases of erosion have been repetitive since then; moreover, last year’s rain led to a landslide which washed the road to Beni.

Nevertheless, Giri criticised the authorities for bringing an ongoing plan for Devghat protection to a halt.

“When Sher Bahadur Deuba was the Prime Minister, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki was the Finance Minister. He had arrived in Devghat to immerse the ashes of his late father in the holy confluence of the Trishuli and Kali Gandaki Rivers. He had then directed the then Western Irrigation Division Office to prepare a detailed project report (DPR),” recalled Giri. The office had prepared a DPR at a cost of Rs. 320 million. However, the process came to a complete halt after the change 

of the government.

“When KP Oli was the Prime Minister, the then member of the National Planning Commission, Dr. Krishna Oli had granted a budget of Rs. 50 million to initiate steps for the protection of Devghat in different phases. However, the budget was not allocated by the then Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada,” exclaimed Giri.

Giri said that they were saddened when the current government allocated only Rs. 20 million as it was not close enough to what was necessary. “However, the assurance of Finance Minister Mahat has given us some relief. We expect that we will receive the budget and begin conservation work at the earliest,” he added

Galeshwor Ashram would be completely eroded if conservation work is not carried out promptly. 

As per the earlier DPR, a concrete embankment has been suggested from the suspension bridge to Beni. “There will be no problem in providing enough budget for this endeavor,” 

said Minister Mahat.