Kathmandu. Mustang: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said preparations were underway for the full operation of Koralana of Mustang along with the construction of necessary infrastructure and infrastructure.

Pm Oli said this during a meeting with the people’s representatives of the local levels, including federal lawmakers representing Mustang, at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Monday. Prime Minister Oli had directed the concerned ministries to make an on-site visit to gosainkunda rural municipality-2 on July 14, the day the Miteri bridge of bhotekoshi river at Rasuwagadhi, the border point connecting Nepal and China, was washed away due to flash floods.

Pm Oli reminded that he had started construction of Benighat-Korala road, visited Muktinath with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, initiated the process for operation of Muktinath cable car, gave priority to the construction of apple super zone and shrimp farming.

The delegation had urged Prime Minister Oli to reconsider the tourism royalty in lomanthang and Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda rural municipalities in the upper part of Mustang as the government has declared the areas as prohibited areas and charged $500 per foreign tourist.

They also demanded blacktopping of kagbeni-Korala road section of Kaligandaki corridor and construction of necessary structures to make Kornana fully operational.

Attention has been drawn to the need for physical construction of customs, immigration, integrated security post, dry port and other commercial establishments at Korala border point. The people’s representatives complained that hotels and local entrepreneurs in Upper Mustang have been forced to suffer losses due to lack of full operation of roads and checkpoints and implementation of prohibited areas.

Prime Minister Oli directed the private secretariat to coordinate with the concerned bodies to hear these demands. A few days ago, a team led by The Prime Minister’s Private Secretary Binod Bahadur Kunwar had visited the kaligandaki corridor and prepared a report on the initiatives to be taken for the operation of roads and checkpoints.

Federal lawmaker Yogendra Gauchan Thakali, Lomanthang rural municipality chair Tasinharbu Gurung, Lopsang Chompel Bista, among others, were part of the delegation. The contract for blacktopping the 97-km Kagbeni-Korala road section is yet to be completed, while the construction of bridges at Tatopani khola, Danakhola, Pandakhola and Tangbe rivulet has to be resumed.