Daiji-Jogbudha road incomplete even after seven years, only 9 km blacktopped

Kanchanpur: Despite seven years passing since the signing of the contract, the construction of the Daiji-Jogbudha road—intended to connect Mahendranagar with the inner Madhesh region of Dadeldhura—remains incomplete.

The contract for the road construction was signed in 2074 BS with Nargajun Construction for a total cost of Rs 212.653 crore, with an initial deadline of three years. However, only nine kilometers of the road section have been blacktopped to date. The Infrastructure Development Office, Mahendranagar, confirmed that the construction deadline has now been extended for the fifth time, setting the new completion date for 20 Asad 2082.

The delay in road construction has severely affected the locals of Dadeldhura’s inner Madhesh, who are forced to take a longer route via Attariya in Dhangadhi to reach Mahendranagar. “The people of the inner Madhesh have had to face many problems due to the lack of construction of this road,” said Dev Bahadur Bohara, Ward Chairman of Parshuram Municipality-9. “If the road had been constructed, it would have been easier to sell pulses and vegetables produced here in the Mahendranagar market.”

Local resident Ram Dhami pointed out that even the drains constructed along the road have begun to fill up, citing the lack of proper monitoring and interest from the concerned authorities.

This short-distance road is viewed as a crucial alternative to the Bhimdatta Highway, connecting inner Madhesh—home to half the population of Dadeldhura—with Kanchanpur. However, progress has been dismal.

Information Officer of the Infrastructure Development Office, Kanchanpur, Laxman Raj Joshi, confirmed that despite multiple deadline extensions, the construction is far from complete. According to him, the contractor has already received Rs 183.6 crore in payments.