Is Badimalika region a part of the Karnali province now?

Dhangadhi: The issue of Karnali province trying to capture Badimalika region of Sudurpaschim province has come to limelight. Karnali state government has been accused of encroaching Badimalika area in Bajura district. The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment of Karnali Province has started building physical structures in Triveni under the Capital Infrastructure Development Project.

Karna Bahadur Thapa, Mayor of Triveni Municipality of Bajura, said that the Karnali Provincial Government has started construction of physical structures in his town area. The Karnali state government is building physical structures in the capital.

"That territory belongs to us he added .There has been no meeting or agreement done amongst us," he said. According to Triveni Municipality, the area where the Dharamshala is being built is in Ward No. 5 and the area where the helipad is built is in Ward No. 6.

According to Niraj Shrestha, the Information Officer of the Ministry of Tourism of Karnali Province, the construction of physical structures in the Badimalika area have been started in accord to a multi-year project. The project is being implemented by the Divisional Forest Office, Kalikot, under the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment of Karnali Province.

According to Ramesh Kumar Giri, Head of Division Forest Office, Kalikot, a contract has been signed for the construction of physical structures for five million one lakh. Karnali state government had signed an agreement in June 2079 for the construction of physical structures worth five million one lakh. In three years, the construction company will complete the construction of the physical structure.

A Dharamshala, a helipad, toilets, an entrance, a pond and 108 taps for worshipers are being constructed in the Badimalika area. Giri said, 'We have named the project the Triveni Metropolitan Infrastructure Development Project.

It is a three-year project. We are constructing a physical structure in Sanni Triveni rural municipality ward number 8 of Kalikot. Giri claimed that the area where the physical structure construction has started is in Kalikot district of Karnali province.

The Karnali state government had allocated 15 million rupees in the last financial year for the construction of physical structures in religious places. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Tourism, Renuka Neupane, said that 15 million has been allocated in the current financial year for multi-year projects.

She said, "It is a multi-year project. In the last fiscal year, the budget was 15 million. 15 million has been allocated in the current financial year as well.