• All the projects are ready for implementation, according to MoPIT

Kathmandu, February 19

Nepal and India have agreed to implement 16 projects — 15 roads and one bridge — under the line of credit (LoC) facility worth $340.22 million of the Indian government. Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak and Union Railway Minister of India Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu today exchanged notes of the projects going to be implemented under the Indian government’s soft credit facility through Exim Bank of India.

The Indian government had announced $1 billion in soft credit to Nepal during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Nepal in August, 2014. The aforementioned projects are going to be constructed under the same facility that was announced by Indian PM Modi, according to Minister Lekhak.

The groundwork for the said projects has already been completed and they are ready to be implemented. “The detailed project report has already been carried out of all these projects and we can award the bid for the construction of the projects,” a high-level official at MoPIT told The Himalayan Times.

The government is going to construct a bridge over the Mahakali River under the LoC of government of India. Cost of this project is expected to hover around $41.98 million, according to MoPIT.

Other 15 road projects going to be implemented under the Indian government’s soft credit are 61.92-km Gandak Canal Road which is expected to cost around $12.02 million. Similarly, 50-km Sahajpur-Boktan-Dipayal road is also planned for construction at a total cost of $21 million. Basantapur-Katariya-Kawahigoth-Pripradi (25.46 km) road will also be implemented under the same facility at a total cost of $6.63 million.

Tarai Urban Road in Nepalgunj (21 km) and Rambahpur-Gulariya-Rawajwa (29.2 km) are going to be constructed at a total cost of $12.53 million each. Similarly, Lamahi-Ghorahi (23.11 km), Ghorahi-Tulasipur (23.57 km), and Charikot-Tamakoshi-Jiri (55 km) are going to be constructed at a total cost of $13.84 million, $13.84 million and $21.25 million, respectively.

The remaining road projects finalised today are Seleghat–Ramechhap–Sanghutar (55 km), municipal roads in Rajbiraj, Siraha, Malangawa, Jaleshwor (60 km), Bhalubang–Bagdula–Bhimghitti road (73.6 km), Bhedetar–Budhabare–Rabi–Ranke (100.37 km), Gaidakot–Rampur–Ramdi road (13.17 km), Chandrauta–Krishnanagar and Krishnanagar municipal road (28 km) and Bardibas-Jaleshwor road (42.45 km), as per MoPIT.

Project cost of the Seleghat–Ramechhap–Sanghutar is expected to hover around $20.04 million, municipal roads in Rajbiraj, Siraha, Malangawa, Jaleshwor ($15.11 million), Bhalubang–Bagdula–Bhimghitti road ($34.51 million), Bhedetar–Budhabare–Rabi–Ranke ($41.3 million), Gaidakot–Rampur–Ramdi road ($54.14 million), Chandrauta–Krishnanagar and Krishnanagar municipal road ($7.36 million) and Bardibas-Jaleshwor road ($12.14 million).