Humla. Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the Karnali Corridor would be taken forward as a trade route with China and India. He said the Karnali Corridor would be made two-lane and blacktopped as it was not only the trade route of Karnali and Humla people but also with the two neighbouring countries.

Inaugurating the bailey bridge at Chuwakhola of Kharpunath rural municipality-5 today, PM Oli said that a concrete bridge would be constructed at Chuwakhola under the Karnali Corridor soon. He expressed happiness that Simkot, the district headquarters of Humla, has been formally connected with the national road network.

Stating that bailey bridge has been constructed to connect Humla with the national road network and the tri-junction, pm Oli pledged to lead not only Humla but also the country towards the path of prosperity by continuing the under-construction concrete bridge here. He said that the road would be upgraded even if it was sloped in difficult places.

Prime Minister Oli pledged to build quarantine at hilsa border point with neighbouring China. Stating that there is a huge potential for trade and commerce here, he said it was necessary to set up quarantine immediately to do business with neighboring countries.

The Nepal Army had started installing bailey bridge at Chuwakhola from March 15 last year to connect Humla with the road network. Prime Minister Oli reached Kharpunath via Surkhet from Kathmandu today in a Nepali Army helicopter to inaugurate the bailey bridge. When he arrived here, the locals welcomed him with musical instruments.

Pm Oli was accompanied by Defence Minister Manbir Rai, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, CPN (UML) Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali, Karnali Province Chief Yagya Raj Joshi, Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel, Chief of Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel and Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure Keshav Kumar Sharma. Humla district headquarters Simkot has been formally connected to the national road network 26 years after the construction of the Karnali Corridor began.

According to the Nepal Army, the bailey bridge was completed at Chuwakhola of Kharpunath-5 under the Karnali Corridor, which has been taken forward by the government as a project of national pride. It will connect Karnali with the north and south cross-border road network.