Palpa. The up-gradation of the Harthok-Batase road in Palpa district, which is the pride project of the Lumbini Province government, has finally begun.

The upgradation of the Rampur-Kapurkot road section has been in limbo for the past eight years due to budget crunch and government apathy.

The provincial government has started works by allocating budget for the upgradation of five kilometers of road. The road was in a dilapidated condition for a long time. When it rained, it was muddy and when it was sunny, it was dusty. Patients and pregnant women were at great risk.

Every time, the election slogan was to pave the road section, which is the lifeline of the people of West Palpa. However, the upgrading of the road section, which has never been repaired after the completion of the election, has brought happiness among the locals after the upgrading work started after eight years. Although the locals have been drawing the attention of the people’s representatives of the local, provincial and federal governments time and again, the progress has not been made. Now that the work has progressed, Padam of Rainadevi Chhahara is very happy with it. He hopes that the days of sorrow will end now as the road which is difficult to walk is being upgraded.

“People here used to arrange household items before the rainy season due to the deteriorating condition of the roads. This situation will end once the road is concreted,” he said. Bishnu Pokharel, a former people’s representative of Rainadevi Chhahara Rural Municipality, said that the rural farmers’ income would increase after the upgrading of the road. He said, “After the road is upgraded, the transportation vehicles will also reach the fields.” Rotten vegetables will reach the market. Farmers will be able to easily market their produce. The produce of the farmers will be sold at a good price in the village. According to Pokharel, the road network will make it easier for the general public to transport vegetables grown in vegetable fields or grains grown in the fields to the market.

Locals are actively working to convert the budget that came after a long wait into a work progress. The problems faced during the construction of the road have also been resolved at the local level. Narayan Bahadur Karki, chairperson of Ribdikot Rural Municipality, said that the road is being constructed in coordination with the local representatives and local representatives.

The works of widening the road, installing retaining walls at various places, constructing the foundation, leveling the road and constructing drainage are going on along this road section. The work will gain further momentum after the removal of the houses on the right and left sides of the road. Arun Gupta, senior engineer at the Lumbini Provincial Road Transport Infrastructure Directorate, Butwal, said that the office is working to resolve the problems surfaced in course of road construction through mutual discussion, coordination and cooperation.

The Directorate of Transport Infrastructure, Butwal has signed an agreement with the contractor to complete the road upgrade by October 10, 2084. MS Rajeshwari-Ramania-R&R JV is working for the road upgradation at a cost of Rs 163.11 million. Arun Gyawali, side in-charge of the contractor company, said that the construction work is expected to be completed six months before the deadline.

The provincial government had in 2074 BS determined a distance of 310 kilometers from Rampur of Palpa to Kapurkot of Salyan to connect the border of Karnali Province to the border of Gandaki Province and declared it the pride project of the province. Although the project was declared as a pride road project, the budget for this road was not allocated due to the absence of a stable government in the province. Lumbini Province Speaker Tularam Gharti Magar said that the road is the lifeline of West Palpa and the construction of the road will bring changes in people’s lives. Apart from Palpa, the road will benefit the people of Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, Rolpa and Salyan districts.