KATHMANDU, JULY 25

Construction of nine out of 10 feeder roads under the Postal Highway has been completed.

"One road is under construction in two packages," said project chief Rohit Kumar Bisural. Of the two packages, one has been completed and the Indian Embassy has handed over the project to the government of Nepal.

"Contracts have been awarded to construct the remaining road," he said. Under the project, eastern Tarai links west and southern Tarai links north. "With the completion of the project, Madhes has benefited in many ways," he said.

Under the project, the completed roads include the 25-km Kanepokhari-Ranbeni road stretch in Morang, 22-km Kalyanpur-Basain road stretch in Saptari, 25- km Birendrabazaar-Yadukuwa-Mahinathapur and 17- km Janakpur-Yadukuwa road stretch in Dhanusha, 27-km Jaleshwor-Hardi road stretch and 25-km Maithan-Gaushala bazaar-Samsi road stretch in Mahottari, 33-km Lamahi-Koilabas road stretch in Dang and 40-km Tamagadhi-Simraunagadh road stretch and 33-km Manamat-Kalaiya-Matiawara road stretch in Bara.

"Under the road widening work in Kalaiya, construction of the four-kilometre road stretch has been halted due to compensation row over land acquisition for the project," he said. The government of India funded the road. "Nepal government has now issued a notice regarding the contract for completion of road construction," he said, adding that the construction would begin soon. "Five-km road of the Birgunj-Thori road stretch is yet to be blacktoppped," he said.

Construction of the 60-km road stretch started in two packages. "Under the first package, construction of the 25-kilometre road stretch has been completed and the remaining work is yet to be completed," he said. "It aims to complete the remaining construction works within three months," he said.

The National Planning Commission has aimed to complete the Postal Highway in the fiscal 2022-23.

"The completion of target would be achieved in time given the present status of the construction work," he added. He, however, said the due target could not be met due to the ongoing COV- ID-19 pandemic.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 26 2021, of The Himalayan Times.