Postal road remains incomplete even after eight and a half years

Mahendranagar: The postal road in Kanchanpur remains unfinished even after eight and a half years, despite an initial construction deadline of just thirty months.

Work on the 62-kilometer road from Dokebajar in Punarbas Municipality to Daiji in Bedkot Municipality began in February 2016. The project, divided into three packages, has faced prolonged delays due to the construction company’s repeated extensions, leaving the road far from completion.

So far, only 50 kilometers of the road have been blacktopped. Mukunda Prasad Lamichhane, Chief of the Postal Highway Planning Office in Dhangadhi, said that about 12 kilometers included in the second package are yet to be completed.

“In the second 22-kilometer package, 1,100 meters remain unblacktopped because work was halted due to a border dispute with India,” Lamichhane said. “The last 22-kilometer package is in its final stage of construction.”

He also informed that Rs 250 million has been allocated this fiscal year for building a concrete bridge over the Doda River along the route. Once completed, the road is expected to significantly ease travel for residents of southern Kanchanpur to Mahendranagar and the provincial capital, Dhangadhi.

“We had to travel through mud and dirt for years,” said Keshav Bista, a teacher from Belauri. “We have endured hardships because the road that was supposed to be completed in two and a half years has remained unfinished for eight and a half years due to the negligence of the contractor.”