DADELDHURA, OCT 08 -
The construction of 25 kilometre Anarkholi-Dewal road connecting more than a dozen VDCs of Dadeldhura
and Baitadi districts has gained momentum at the initiative of the
locals. Although records show that more than Rs 100 million has been
spent from state coffers for the construction of the road initiated 30
years ago, only a three kilometre track has been opened to the public
till date.
However, locals have opened nine kilometre track on the first phase of
the much delayed road at the cost of Rs 2.5 million, of which Rs 1.6
million was collected through donation and Rs 900,000 on loan.
Marvelling at the completion of the first phase, local Daljeet Thagunna
said that the donation drive was still on and they have plans to
complete the construction work within this fiscal year. Meanwhile,
stating that some locals of the Samauji VDC had obstructed the
construction of the road, local Ramdutta Bhatta said construction work
on 16 kilometre of the road till Guwadi had been paved after leaders of
all VDCs had jointly decided to construct the road through local
initiative as well as investment.
“Although the budget for the construction of the road was allocated
every year, due to financial irregularities committed by the
construction companies in collusion with Division Road Office,
construction work never moved past the initial three kilometre track
opened to the public,” complained local Janak Aidi.
“Over the years, construction work had been delayed in the name of
protecting community forest and religious sites like temples time and
again,” Aidi said.
Moreover, after locals started constructing the road through their own
initiative, for the first time in years three lawmakers from Dadeldhura
and Baitadi have reached the construction site and interacted with the
locals. In an interaction programme organised by the locals, one of the
lawmakers, Damodar Bhandari of Baitadi, assured that he will try to
draw the attention of the government towards the project in order to
turn into a priority project.
Stating that the efforts of the locals have been exemplary till now,
Bhandari said that this is a clear case of lack of accountability in the
government.
“We had reached the doorsteps of government representatives many times,
but after we took the initiative to construct the road, they have
started coming to the village,” said local Bhoj Bahadur Aidi. Meanwhile,
stating that the roads should have been completed through the funds
disbursed by the government for the project long ago, Bhoj Bahadur said
that the pain of having to construct the road through money collected
from donations and the sheer apathy of the government towards the region
cannot be forgotten easily.
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