Mustang. Marfa-Chairo-Chimang road under Gharpajhong rural municipality is to be upgraded. A budget of Rs 10 million has been allocated in the current fiscal year 2082/83 under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management of Gandaki State.

Chief of Infrastructure Development Office Ajaya Kumar Shrestha said a multi-year plan would be approved for upgrading the 76-km Beni-Jomsom road linking Chhairo-Chimang village along with blacktopping at the required places.

According to him, the up-gradation of the Chhairo-Chimang road has not been implemented for the time being as it is possible to be implemented as a multi-year plan to upgrade the dirt road from Marfa-Chairo bridge over Kaligandaki River to Chimang and blacktop the required places.

“We have stopped the implementation of the road here for the time being,” said Shrestha, adding, “The Office will forward the process accordingly if directives are received as part of a multi-year programme.”

Shrestha said that the cost estimate of five times the amount allocated in the current fiscal year would be ensured by taking the Chhairo-Chimang road as a multi-year programme. According to him, some sections of the Marfa-Chairo-Chimang road would be blacktopped and upgraded to other parts once the multi-year plan is approved. With the approval of the Chhairo-Chimang road multi-year programme, the contract agreement and road upgradation works will start in the current fiscal year.

The road linking Chimang, a neglected agricultural village across the Kaligandaki River, has become dilapidated and uncomfortable, posing a risk to the movement of goods to the locals. Due to the dilapidated dirt road from Chairo to Chokhopani Khola and the steep uphill road from Chokhopani to Chimang, there is no easy access to vehicles.

Indra Prasad Thakali, a local, said that upgradation and blacktopping of the Chhairo-Chimang road would help in easy marketing of agricultural products and tourism development in the area. According to him, there was an urgent need to upgrade the road up to Chimang as a bridge over Kaligandaki river linking Marfa-Chairo had already been constructed.