The work of blacktopping the access road of Kushmisera Bazar, the center of Jaimini Municipality connecting the Kaligandaki Corridor, has been resumed. Earlier, the road-paving work was started in partnership with the federal government, the provincial government and the local government, but it was halted. Only one kilometer of the road was paved.
Deputy Mayor Harihar Sharma informed Republica that the Jaimini Nagar Executive Committee has allocated Rs 20 million. Out of the three kilometers of road from Kushmisera to Jaminidham, two kilometers of the road have been allocated for blacktopping. The road remained incomplete even after three years of working with the complimentary grant. So, the municipality is going to pave the roads from internal sources.
The cost of upgrading and blacktopping the one kilometer road was estimated at Rs 80 million earlier. In the first two years, less than Rs 10 million was spent on the road, but in the last year, Rs 2.7 million was spent on the road. Due to problems such as the coronavirus epidemic, floods and landslides, the road-paving work was stopped in the middle due to non-expenditure of the budget allocated through the complementary grant. Sharma said that since the federal government does not share more than three years in a single scheme, the municipality allocates the budget after the complementary grant-sharing is over.
“The corridor is in the process of being paved, this road connecting the Karnali Corridor will become Jaimini Municipality’s lifeline if the work of blacktopping is started immediately,” Sharma said, “We have also requested the budget from the committee and the province. Now we will make a new DPR and pave the rest of the road.” Deputy Mayor Sharma said that although the estimated cost for drains and the two-kilometer-long road is Rs 50 million, the insufficient amount will be demanded from the provincial and federal governments.
When this road is paved, the access road will be connected to the Kaligandaki Corridor at a distance of five to seven minutes. Sharma said that he will assist in conducting all the economic activities within Jaimini Municipality as well as in promoting tourism.
