Construction of Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway likely to resume after hiatus

Rautahat, March 13

Halted for about four months, construction of Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway Project in Rautahat is all set to resume following a deal with the agitating locals, who were protesting against the ‘nominal compensation’ proposed for their land to be appropriated for the project.

As per the agreement reached between the representatives of the railway project affected area and Rautahat administration here today, in the presence of member of the Federal Parliament Dev Prasad Timalsina and Nepal Communist Party (NCP) district in-charge Yuvraj Bhattarai, construction of the railway project will resume by following the compensation rate fixed on March 6.

Construction of Bardibas-Nijgadh section of the railway project had been held up for about four months after the locals of Betauna in Chandrapur Municipality, Rautahat, halted the work, dissatisfied with the compensation amount fixed for their land.

Though there had been a re-evaluation of the compensation amount lately, the locals had refused to end their protest seeking for yet another re-evaluation.As per the latest evaluation, land, divided in four categories, would get from Rs four to 11 lakh per kattha.