Bajura, October 26

More than a decade since the construction of Bajura’s Martadi-Kolti road section started, the project has been left in limbo.

According to Bajura locals, around Rs 330 million has been spent for the road project so far. “It is unfortunate that despite the government spending such a huge amount of money, the road construction work has yet to complete,” said a local Narayan Padhya, attributing the delay to the contractor’s negligence.

Of the 43 kilometre road, vehicles such as tractors and jeeps can ply only up to 38 kilometres, that too only during the dry season.

“We’re somehow operating vehicles up to Danasangu of Kolti, but the road condition is extremely rough and risky,” said jeep entrepreneur Prithvi Rawal, adding that it takes over seven hours to negotiate the 38 km stretch.

Then district president Lal Bahadur Thapa had inaugurated the road construction back in 2000. The project was slated to be completed within four years.

Meanwhile, experts have expressed concern as the road construction had started without conducting any study, including the mandatory environment impact assessment.