KATHMANDU: The government has given priority to the physical infrastructure development endeavors concerning several national pride projects such as Mid-hilly Highway, Postal Highway, North-South Highway.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management has reported 24.13 percent capital expenditure in the past seven months in the implementation of projects undertaken by the Division of Roads.

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Basanta Kumar Nembang, said the Ministry had secured inter-ministry coordination to accelerate the implementation.

With the country entering the federal structure, the Ministry has the responsibility for looking after 15,000 kilometers area of 80 road projects while local, rural and agro roads remain in the lists of state and local level governments.

There are a total of 33 divisions of roads function under the Ministry. However, the lack of a required number of employees has caused problems in the implementation of projects, according to the Ministry.

As Nembang said, during the first 100 days of his office in the Ministry, 18 kilometers of a road under the Mid-Hilly Highway was blacktopped, six bridges were constructed, eight bridges are under construction and eight projects relating to bridge construction are in the implementation phase.

Similarly, 48 kilometers road under the important Postal Highway has been constructed with the building of five bridges along the Highway.

A 33-km gravel track has been opened in the Kaligandaki Corridor with the construction of three bridges, an additional six kilometer-track has been opened on the Karnali Highway, works to upgrade the Koshi Corridor goes on rapidly and 40 bridges under local roads were built in a period of three months, the Ministry presented the progress report.

Moreover, a 6-km gravel road has been prepared along the Galchhi-Trishuli-Syafrubesi-Rasuwagadhi road section and 26 kilometers road and 22 bridges built under the Madan Bhandari Highway connecting Bahundangi of Jhapa to western Daldeldhura in this period.

As the government said, works have been intensified to expand a trade route linking the East-West Highway to Indian border points.

Besides the progress on these projects of national pride, 200 kilometers of the road was blacktopped, 130 kilometers of road was graveled and a 69-km new track has been opened under other infrastructures projects operational across the country in the 100-day period.

He was speaking at a press meet organized at Singha Durbar today on the occasion of the completion of his 100 days in his office.

Passenger refreshment centers in the offing

The government is bringing a passenger refreshment center into operation first time for road safety and passengers’ convenience. In the first phase, the center will be established at Gorusinghe of Buddhabhumi municipality-2 in Kapilvastu.

Similarly, design work has already been complete for the establishment of a center at Aathbishkoti of Dailekh along the Karnali Highway.

More, the government is preparing to establish weighbridge at Jugedi of Chitwan and in Bardibas. A total of 200 thousand smart driving cards were distributed during this period.

Sick projects have been given an unconditional last chance of one year for the completion. If the latest deadline was not met, the contract would be dismissed, it is said. The number of such sick projects is around 1,500.

The capital expenditure in the current fiscal has been figured out at 24 percent. He predicted the expenditure in the current fiscal year to exceed 90 percent.

The Ministry is serious about policy-level management, according to Ministry Secretary Devendra Karki.