Daiji–Jogbudha road: Only five kilometers blacktopped in eight years

Kanchanpur: The Daiji–Jogbudha Road, which connects Kanchanpur to the inner Madhesh of Dadeldhura, has seen only five kilometers of blacktopping in the past eight years.

A contract worth Rs 212.653 million was signed with Nargajun Construction on 20 Baisakh 2074 for the construction of a 12-kilometer stretch from Daiji in Bedkot Municipality, Kanchanpur, to Lipna on the Dadeldhura border. The project was originally scheduled for completion by 20 Shrawan 2076 but remains incomplete.

According to the Infrastructure Development Office, Mahendranagar, the project deadline has been extended five times, most recently until 20 Asar 2082. Despite this, the work was not completed, and Rs 10 million was frozen in the last fiscal year due to inactivity.

Information Officer Laxman Raj Joshi confirmed that only five kilometers have been blacktopped so far, leaving seven kilometers pending. He said the contractor has already received Rs 183.6 million, with Rs 29 million yet to be disbursed.

Local residents have long faced hardships due to the incomplete road, which would provide a direct link between Kanchanpur and Dadeldhura, as well as other hill districts of the Far West. “The road construction began during the Panchayat period but has yet to be completed,” said local resident Keshav Bohara. “We suffer greatly—dust in winter and dangerous travel conditions during the rainy season. Because the 31-kilometer road remains incomplete, we are forced to take a 150-kilometer detour.”

The road is also considered a vital alternative route to the Bhimdatta Highway, providing a shorter connection from Kanchanpur to Dadeldhura’s inner Madhesh.