Dhankuta, February 4

A direct road link between Dhankuta and Sankhuwasabha has elated residents in both the districts.

A 12-kilometre rural agriculture road that connects Dhankuta with Mudhesanischare of Sankhuwasabha recently came into operation. Farmers of both districts have started trading their products by using vehicles plying the agricultural road.

Lekhnath Poudel, a farmer, said the road had facilitated export of seasonal crops such as ginger, cardamom, milk and vegetables, among others, to other districts through Mudhe Sanischare and Leguwa. The farmers at Chanuwa, Dandagaun, Jitpur, Marekatahare, Leguwa of Mahalaxmi municipality, Dhankuta and remote rural municipalities of Sankhuwasabha have benefited from the road network. Mayor Parsuram Nepal of Mahalaxmi municipality in Dhankuta said the road was the shortest route linking the Mid-hill Highway and had facilitated residents of the upper parts of Dhankuta and the southern parts of Bhojpur.

The road construction had started two years ago.

Around 95 per cent work is reportedly complete. Rural Reconstruction and Resettlement Project was awarded the contract to construct the agricultural road by District Technical Office, Dhankuta, with a budget of Rs 160 million.