PALPA: Youths from Nisdi Rural Municipality in Palpa have demanded the immediate upgrading of the Rampur–Beldanda–Dhunganabesi–Mityal–Arunkhola road section.
To press their demand, they staged a protest and sit-in in front of the rural municipality office.
Commuters have long faced hardship due to the poor condition of the road, which connects Lumbini and Gandaki provinces. While upgrading work has been completed on the Nawalpur side, no such work has been done on the Palpa section.
Although the road alignment was prepared and the track opened nearly five decades ago, upgrading work has yet to be carried out.
Youth leader Kamal Saru stated that the condition of the road has caused continued suffering for locals and travelers, prompting the protest to draw the attention of the rural municipality.
The demonstrators carried placards reading slogans such as “Development is a fruit on the cliff for Nisdi,” “Dust and mud: gifts for Nisdi,” “Why is the road upgrade delayed?” and “People are suffering.” They urged the government to prioritize this road section and allocate necessary funds in the upcoming budget.
According to Nisdi Rural Municipality Chairperson Mukt Bahadur Saru, the road falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government, preventing the rural municipality from initiating upgrade work independently.
He said the lack of federal funding has stalled progress on this critical inter-provincial route and called for the federal government to prioritize and allocate resources for the road’s improvement.
Despite repeated appeals to relevant authorities, residents, travelers, and businesspeople continue to face challenges due to the deteriorating condition of the road and lack of effective, timely upgrades.
The protesting youths submitted a memorandum to the rural municipality, demanding immediate inspection and maintenance of damaged sections, long-term upgrading with proper drainage, timely project completion, regular maintenance for year-round usability, special budgetary allocation, and consistent monitoring to prevent delays, negligence, and irregularities in future works.
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