Kathmandu, March 14:

After their neighbouring village was linked with a road, residents of Kitchanas VDC-9, Saldanda, of Syangja have begun a donation collection drive to construct a road link to their village.

Eight locals have been deployed in various parts of the country, where their relatives and fellow locals live, to collect donations for the construction of a 4-km road that will link Saldanda with Tanahu’s Raipur. “We have sent eight people to various parts of the country for donation collection. We need some Rs 400,000 to connect our village with the road,” said Kamal Manandhar, one of the two persons who have come to Kathmandu for donation collection.

He said local leaders Ram Prasad Rana and Dor Bahadur Rana will collect donation from Pokhara, Dulegaunda and Ganapati while Pitam Manandhar and Jas Bahadur Manandhar will collect it from Chormara, Bharatpur, Gaindakot and Butwal where a number of people have been migrated from Saldanda.

Similarly, local teachers Yam Lal Adhikary and Dev Bahadur Rana have gone to different parts of neighbouring VDC, Oraste, seeking donation for the road construction. “With no hopes of receiving help from the government, we have begun the donation collection drive. A meeting of the local Ex-Army Association had decided to collect funds for the construction of the road,” said Khyam Narayan Manandhar, another local working in the valley.

The road will connect Saldanda with the Prithvi Highway at Dulegaunda of Tanahun. The construction of the road will benefit over 20,000 people of four VDCs - Chisapani, Kitchanas and Oraste of Syangja and Raipur of Tanahu.

It will also connect Kholakhet, Saldanda, Jamune and Sankhe villages. Locals hope that the construction of the road will promote the marketing of their agriculture produce.