Sudurpaschim govt constructs 506 km road in one year

By Abinash Chaudhary,Dhangadhi, Sept. 20: The Sudurpaschim Provincial Government has constructed 506 kilometres of roads across the province within one year.

The government built these roads during the fiscal year 2023/2024. According to the budget statement presented by the provincial government a few days ago, as of the second week of March 2024, the provincial government blacktopped 21 kilometres of roads, gravelled 275 kilometres and removed the mud from 220 kilometres of road.

In the previous fiscal year 2022/2023, the provincial government had constructed 417 kilometres of roads in the province. The government has also initiated the construction of nine provincial pride roads, one in each of the nine districts of the province, although the progress of these roads has been minimal.

Provincial Finance Minister Bahadur Singh Thapa said that to complete the construction of provincial pride and multi-year projects, the provincial government has given top priority to road and bridge infrastructure, considering past financial obligations and limited resources. 

He also said that provisions have been made in the current fiscal year to ensure there is no shortage of resources for these pride and multi-year projects.

The provincial government has also prioritised the construction of roads connecting the district centres of Saipal in Bajhang, Sigash in Baitadi, and Api Himal Rural Municipality in Darchula, which are not yet linked to the road network. 

The necessary budget has been allocated for these projects, said Minister Thapa in the budget statement. Similarly, efforts to construct suspension bridges to improve access to basic services in remote and rural areas that are not connected by road networks are being continued.

Slight increase in electricity generation 

Electricity generation in Sudurpaschim Province has seen a slight increase. As of the end of February/March 2024, the province produced 171 megawatts of electricity, and 83.5 per cent of the population has access to electricity now. 

In fiscal year 2022/2023, the province produced 120 megawatts of electricity, with electricity access for 73 per cent of the population.

According to the national census, 53.33 per cent of households in Sudurpaschim have installed drinking water taps. By the end of February in fiscal year 2023/2024, 21,095 people had gained access to basic drinking water services, and 88,992 people had gained access to intermediate-level drinking water services, as mentioned in the budget statement.