Kathmandu, January 27:

The Department of Roads (DoR) is thinking of allocating a portion of funds meant for

the execution of the East-West Highway Upgrading Project in the Tarai for the development of other parts of the country due to ongoing protests in the Tarai.

“As it has become impossible to move ahead with the East-West Highway Upgrading Project in affected areas in the Tarai, we, instead of upgrading 140-km stretch, will upgrade only 100 km stretch. Money thus saved can be utilised for the development of other parts of the country,” director-general of the Department of Roads Tulasi Prasad Sitaula told

this daily today.

The three-year project was supposed to upgrade the 140 km stretch of the East-West Highway by April this year. But progress in the movement-affected Saptari, Siraha, Janakpur, Mahottari and Sarlahi is tardy.

Though the project was estimated to cost Rs one billion, the project cost has shot to over 1.45 billion rupees because of hurdles the project has to face almost every day. The scarcity of petrol and hike in the price of petroleum products has also affected the project’s cost price adjustment.

The Asian Development Bank has funded Rs 1 billion for the project. in which Nepal government has added 20 per cent in the total budget.

“Bandhs, chakka jams and threats issued against project workers have affected the project. As we could not speed up project work against these constraints, we have decided to terminate the project after upgrading the 100-km stretch. Work in the districts has come to a halt for a year or so,” he said.Construction of over a dozen bridges in the area is also not making progress because of threats. “The local contractors and builders are constantly threatened by one group or the other. Either they have to meet all their demands or have to quit,” he added.