Mid-Hill Highway construction works in limbo

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
DHORPATAN, DECEMBER 12The construction works of the Mid-Hill Highway have come to a halt when a contractor who was
awarded the contract for blacktopping the Baglung-Akshyate-Ghodabandhe road section as part of the national pride project.
Third transgender pride parade held in Kathmandu
Mother, newborn left in
the lurch for want of money Blacktopping of
around 12-km road section has become uncertain when chief of the contract awardee, Shrestha Construction and Transport Service, Ramkaji
Shrestha has remained out of contact for over a month. It may be noted that the Surya Construction had won the contract for
the road blacktopping in the fiscal year 2072/73 BS
Later, the Shrestha Construction Company took the responsibility for blacktopping from the earlier Company
But, as of now Shrestha has not completed half of the works.Locals have been fed up with the dust and mud on the road for no blacktopping on
time.Surprisingly, it has been over 25 years since the track of the highway – a lifeline of the folks of Baglung was opened
Likewise, a decade has already elapsed since the contract signing was made with the construction company for blacktopping
Blacktopping has not progressed anymore which put the road section in shambles.Harilal Kandel, a local, said people here are compelled to
migrate to other areas due to dust and mud
The houses along the road sides have been covered with dust in the winter and mud in the summer seasons, he added."Bihun is the pocket area
for orange
Due to the messy road condition, orange production has been on the decline
The fruits in the tree are covered with dust
Such yields do not get price in the market", he complained.Though the Baglung-Akshyate section has witnessed some progress, blacktopping has
stagnated along the road stretching from Akshyate to Ghodabandhe.Kandel said the present situation has resulted owing to State inability to
take action against the contractors holding the construction works.Former ward chairperson of Kathekhola Rural Municiplaity-5, Shiva Prasad
Kandel shared that the mid-hill highway works have been put on hold when the contractor awarded for blacktopping has remained out of
communications for over a month
The contractor has turned its deaf ear to the demand of locals for completing the construction works, he added."We had repeatedly urged the
local administration, highway office and contractor for road blacktopping when the entire community was on verge of migration en masse
But, no one has heeded the serious issue", Kandel further shared.Baglung section merely covers 142-km out of the 1,776-km length of the
mid-hill highway
Out of the section, only 12-km portion is to be blacktopped.The Mid-Hill highway office said remaining 12-km would be blacktopped within
coming mid-July, the office of the Mid-Hill Highway said.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com