Nabaraj Sapkota 
KAVRE: In a bid to forge synergy in infrastructure development, four local units in three districts of Bagmati provinces discuss plan of action that can be implemented in a coordinated way.
Elected representatives and officials of Bethanchowk Rural Municipality, Bagmati Rural Municipality of Makawanpur and Mahankal Rural Municipality of Lalitpur exchanged visits along with Bagmati Province’s Physical Infrastructure Minister Yubaraj Dulal. They discussion inter-local unit coordination and cooperation in development efforts. The main agenda of the joint meeting of the four municipalities held in that office was the construction of a short-distance road from the eastern districts of Bagmati province to the provincial capital, Hetaunda. The construction of a bridge over the Bagmati River and the upgrading of the road from Bethanchowk in Kavre to Phaparbari in Makwanpur were also discussed.
Prem Bahadur Timalsina, former chairman of Bethanchok rural municipality, said that the respective municipalities and districts have opened tracks in their respective areas for road construction, while the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for building a bridge over the Bagmati River has been completed.
The meeting convened by the Chairman Bhagwan Adhikari of Bethanchok Rural Municipality has decided that all the municipalities will have to build a road connecting Panauti of Kavre to Mahankal, Bagmati of Lalitpur, and the Dharan Chatra Road (Madan Bhandari Highway) of Bagmati Rural Municipality of Makwanpur. Even before this, joint programs were organized for the construction of the particular road in the presence of those who are in the leadership of the province and federal governments. Locals say that the road track has been opened from Panauti to Phaparbari, but not much progress has been achieved in upgrading road.
During the winter, culvert pipes were installed in the Bagmati River in an unsafe order for vehicular passage, but it is impossible to cross the river during the rainy season. Although the DPR for the construction of a bridge on the Bagmati River has been completed, the budget has not been arranged.
In the meeting held on Wednesday in Bagmati Rural Municipality-7, it was decided to start the construction of the concrete bridge in Khurmi of Gimdi after amending the budget for the next year. The bridge will connect Lalitpur’s Khurmi and Makwanpur’s Balute of Bagmati Rural Municipality.
Makwanpur’s Bagmati Rural Municipality Chairman Sarkesh Ghalan and Deputy Chairman Phanindra Kumar Timalsina, Lalitpur Bagmati Rural Municipality Chairman Veer Bahadur Lopchan, Mahankal Rural Municipality Chairman Ganesh KC, officers, ward chairs, government officials and intellectuals were present at the meeting.
Madhusudan Timalsina, the spokesperson of Bethanchowk Rural Municipality, said that the meeting decided that the respective municipalities would do DPR for the motorways in their respective municipalities.
After the construction of this road, there will be a short distance road for the eastern districts of Bagmati Province, Kavre Sindhupalchowk, and Dolakha Ramechhap to reach the provincial capital. At present, the road has beenupgraded up to Bethanchowk, Dhurkhak in Kavre.
