KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 1

Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said there will not be shortage of budget for the expansion of the Araniko highway. The highway is being expanded into six-lane roadway.

The Finance Minister said this while addressing the Seventh District Assembly of the District Coordination Committee, Kavrepalanchowk in Dhulikhel today. 'Budget would not be stopped, affecting the ongoing road expansion works for developing the highway into a six-lane one. I wish the expansion works are completed soon. The budget for this purpose would not be stopped for any reason,' he reiterated.

The Suryabinayak-Sanga and Sanga-Dhulikhel sections of the highway are being expanded in two phases in three years' time. The road expansion works on the two sections with a total length of 15.5 kilometres were started from Sanga from February 28, 2023.

The Sanga-Dhulikhel section is 8.4 kilometres long while the Suryabinayak-Sanga section is 7.5 kilometres long. Rs 4.05 billion has been earmarked for the construction of Sanga-Dhulikhel section while Rs 3.88 billion for the Suryabinayak-Sanga section.

Minister Mahat also expressed the belief that the economy will revive in the coming days and the government would encourage the private sector.

On the occasion, Committee chief Deepak Gautam presented the proposed policy and programme for the fiscal year 2023/24.