Japan extends Rs 1.705b grant for Sindhuli road

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 9:

Japan has decided to extend a grant assistance of up to Rs 1,705,492,000 (equivalent to $24,243,000) to Nepal for the construction of Sindhuli Road Phase III of Section II, in Japan’s fiscal year 2005. Tsutomu Hiraoka, Japanese ambassador to Nepal and Bhanu Prasad Acharya, secretary the ministry of finance, signed and exchanged a note of agreement

to this effect today on behalf of their respective governments. The grant extended today to Nepal is intended to procure the products and services necessary for the execution of Phase III of Sindhuli Bazaar-Khurkot section of Sindhuli road, which stretches for about 13.7km, states a press release issued here by the Japanese embassy. Japan has been extending grant assistance to Nepal for the construction of Sindhuli road since 1996. The construction of Sindhuli road, stretching from Bardibas of Mahottari to Dhulikhel in Kavre, is about 158 km long and is divided into four sections.

Of these four sections, Section II stretches from Sindhuli bazaar to Khurkot for about 39km.

Japan had already extended 12.797 billion Japanese Yen in total for the construction of the Sindhuli road-Section I (Bardibas-Sindhuli Bazaar), Phase I & II in Section II (Sindhuli Bazaar-Khurkot) and phase I & II in Section IV (Dhulikhel-Nepalthok). As of today out of the 158 km highway, 99.5 km road has already been opened for traffic movement. After completion of Phase III of Section II, approximately a 126 km road section will be completed. The Sindhuli Road is one the most promising projects being implemented under Japan’s overseas development assistance.

It aims to achieve sustainable economic development and alleviate poverty through boosting the socio-economic activities in the areas adjoining the road as well as providing alternative access for the capital city in terms of market accessibility. Ambassador Hiraoka said that the project would bring multi-fold development benefits once the construction is finally completed.

“People residing in remote areas of Sindhuli, Ramechhap and Kavreplanchowk districts

will have easy access to markets as well as socio-economic links with the capital city and Terai,” he said.