KATHMANDU: A plan to link every municipality ward with a main road has been introduced in Bhaktapur in view of the increasing population and urbanisation.

This plan was brought up at a discussion programme on the theme of upgrading the already existing roads organised by the Ministry of Urban Development and Kathmandu Valley Development Authority.

During the discussion, stakeholders also agreed to expedite the road expansion works in Bhaktapur district.

The ‘One Ward, One Main Road’ concept is to be implemented through a campaign giving highest priority to the development of physical infrastructures in Bhaktapur.

In this connection, the Authority and local people’s representatives have agreed to upgrade 18 different roads in the district. These include the Aadarsha-Ghyampedanda road, the Patletaar-Anantalingeshwar road, the Suryabinayak Chowk-Krishna Mandir-Prani Uddyan road, and the Saraswotikhel-Mulpani road among others.

The Authority has laid down only one condition that there should not be any dispute in the road construction works, in order to take the road upgrading project forward.

Authority’s Chief Commissioner Bhaikaji Tiwari said, the Authority was ready to implement the development projects if the people’s representatives brought pro-people development projects.

He added that detailed project reports of most of the roads have been prepared for taking ahead the road expansion works.

Saying boundary dispute should be resolved for the road expansion, Chief of Kathmandu Valley Road Expansion Project, Deepak KC, clarified that contract process for the road expansion could not be forwarded if the dispute was not resolved.

Similarly, Chief of Department of Urban Development and Building Construction Division, Maniram Gela, said that the government was ready to resolve all problems that could surface in course of development construction.

Member of the House of Representatives, Mahesh Basnet, said that the government had already forwarded national pride projects related to education, health, roads, city hall and smart city in a procedural basis.

Mayor of Suryabinayak Municipality Basudev Thapa said the local government would resolve border dispute that could surface in course of road expansion and other development constructions.