Remote Bajura villages celebrate launch of direct bus service

Bajura: Locals in remote villages of Bajura are expressing great relief and happiness after bus services began operating directly to their doorsteps. Previously, travelers heading to Dhangadhi, Mahendranagar or Kathmandu had to walk for an entire day just to reach Martadi, the district headquarters, to secure a bus ticket. With the effort and coordination of the local government, transportation has now become significantly more accessible.

According to Dal Bahadur BK of Budhinanda Municipality-7, Serkatia, villagers earlier had to walk long distances to catch a bus, but now the service has become convenient as buses arrive right in their backyards. He noted that the road becomes muddy during the rainy season, landslides occur in several areas and buses must stop at Martadi, urging authorities to expedite the blacktopping of the route.

Although the road reached Kolti around 20 years ago, bus services could not be operated until recently. Mayor Janak Bahadur Bohora of Budhinanda Municipality said bus services began in 2080 BS following coordination with bus operators and the Road Department. He added that although landslides blocked the road during the monsoon, service resumed after the Road Division Office in Achham cleared the route with a dozer.

Dhulikhel Gwalva Shyam & Shankar Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu and Baniya Koteshwor JV, Hetauda were contracted in Ashar 2076 to blacktop the Martadi-Kolti road at a cost of Rs 850 million. However, the work remains incomplete despite the target completion date of Ashar 2078. According to the Physical Infrastructure Development Office, Achham, the contractor companies have already received more than Rs 260 million as the first installment, yet the project remains stalled.

(Source: Gorkhapatra)