MYAGDI, DEC 18 - Construction work on the Baglung-Beni-Jomsom Highway, which was halted four months ago due to lack of funding by the government, has resumed after the government made some disbursements.
After the government had failed to disburse the allocated budget for this road construction, the infrastructure development directorate of the army, which had taken the responsibility of the construction of this highway, had brought the work to a halt through a notice.
It is learnt that the government had earmarked a budget of Rs. 35 million for this highway.
According to information provided by Raju Nepali, the commander of the Kali Prasad barracks, involved in the construction of this highway for the last two years, the government has allotted Rs. 20 million this year for the construction work. Though work worth Rs. 5 million has been carried out on the highway, the government has disbursed out only Rs. 2.6 million. Since they did not have money to give to labourers, construction had came to a halt. Nepali also pointed out the problem of lack of manpower to supervise the work when army personnel were required for security duties.
At the moment the army is responsible for the maintenance of the road from Ratnechaur to Khabara on the Baglung-Beni section of this road, as it provides easy access to the district headquarters, Beni.
Due to lack of funds meant for the road construction over this region, the truss-bridge constructed over the Myagdi river along this under construction Baglung-Beni-Jomsom highway which will connect with the district headquarters of Myagdi has remained only half complete for the past three years.
Similarly, the Kaligandaki bridge along the Maldhunga-Beni-Darbang road is also incomplete since three years due to non-availability of funds. The construction of both these bridges had been given on contract to Jagat Nirman Sewa of Kathmandu, and it is learnt that the stipulated time for their completion has come to an end.Posted on: 2003-12-19 03:54

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