POKHARA: Additional 300 kilometers of road will be black-topped in Gandaki Province in the upcoming fiscal year, the provincial government announced in the budget for the fiscal year 2023/24.

The budget has given continuity to the construction and upgrading of the Province Pride Road Project, the One Electoral Constituency-One Agricultural Road, the roads of strategic importance and the roads connecting the administrative centers of the local levels.

The provincial government has allocated Rs 11.16 billion for construction of road infrastructures, said Jeet Prakash Ale, the Gandaki Province’s Finance Minister.

He said along with black topping the roads, 25 road bridges and 20 suspension bridges would be constructed in the next fiscal year.

The provincial government said the practice of integrated development based on river system would be pursued with funding from the federal government as well.

Provincial finance minister Ale said the detailed project report of the Budhigandaki Corridor, the Marsyangdi Corridor and the Shaligram Corridor would be prepared and implemented in the upcoming fiscal year.

Budget has also been earmarked for this, he added. According to him, special priority has been given and budget also allocated for the construction of Bhimad-Dedhgaon-Jhyalbas-Chormara-Dumkaswas-Triveni project under the North-South Expressway, which is the priority project of the province.

The provincial government plans to expedite the road upgrading of the remaining section of the Shaligram Corridor and the construction of the Buddhasingh Roadway, a road project of strategic importance.

The provincial government has apportioned Rs 195 million for this.