Karnali still lagging behind in road infrastructure

By Our Correspondent,Surkhet, July 6: Six years have elapsed since the formation of the Karnali Provincial Government, but the province is still lagging in terms of road infrastructure.  Over the years, the government has changed multiple times and three Chief Ministers led the government. However, the pace of infrastructure development in the province has remained slow.

Since the formation of the provincial government, 3,500 kilometres of roads have been constructed across the Province.

Senior Division Engineer, Ramesh Subedi from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development said that 3,500 kilometres of roads have been built from the fiscal year 2017/2018 to 2023/2024. This includes constructing concrete roads, gravelling roads, opening road tracks and blacktopping.

During this period, only 117 kilometres of roads have been blacktopped. A total of 481 kilometres of road have been gravelled and tracks have been opened for 2,629 kilometres of roads. 

In addition, 283 kilometres of roads have been upgraded by constructing the drainage system. According to the ministry, 38 kilometres of roads have been blacktopped, 47 kilometres of road have been gravelled and 205 kilometres of road tracks opened in the current fiscal year 2023/2024 alone.

In the past six years, the provincial government's investment has led to the construction of 71 suspension bridges and 30 motorable bridges.  In the current fiscal year alone, 16 suspension and eight motorable bridges have been constructed. 

The government has also prioritised bridge construction for the coming year. The budget for the fiscal year 2024/2025 highlights the construction of suspension bridges over rivers and streams to provide easy access to settlements near tourist trails in the mountainous and hilly regions.

Karnali has not seen significant achievements in overall infrastructure development, although six years have elapsed since the formation of the provincial government. People expected a leap in infrastructure development after the implementation of federalism, but the people of Karnali have not felt a phenomenal upgrade in infrastructure. 

More than 2,000 houses have been constructed under the Janata Awas programme. The ministry reported that a total of 2,863 houses have been built across all ten districts of the province. Of these, 2,515 houses were constructed through the federal government's Janata Awas programme, and 348 houses through the provincial government's Janata Awas programme.

Similarly, under the Bippannko Ghar Programme (Houses of Poor Programme), 291 houses have been built over the past six years, with 50 houses constructed in the current fiscal year alone. The government has also constructed 182 public buildings in the past six years.

During this period the construction of 39 embankments and dams, 68 irrigation projects, 41 drinking water projects and 132 other projects have been accomplished.