Road Upgrade Connecting Beni Municipality and Raghuganga Rural Municipality Completed Ahead of Schedule

Myagdi. The project to upgrade the Beni-Pakhapani road section from Bhutadaila to Toripani, which connects settlements in Beni Municipality and Raghuganga Rural Municipality in the central part of the district with the district headquarters Beni, has been completed ahead of its target.

The upgraded section of this strategically important road in Myagdi falls within the geography of Ward No. 9 of Beni Municipality, formerly Ghatan VDC. The upgrade work on the Beni Municipality-9 Bhutadaila to Nepthechaur via Toripani section, under the Beni-Pakhapani Road Project operated through the Infrastructure Development Office, was completed five months ahead of schedule.

The construction contract for this road project was signed on Jestha 20, 2081, between the Infrastructure Development Office and Mangaladewi Subas Construction Pvt. Ltd., Nuwakot, for NPR 11 crore 76 lakh 12 thousand 541. The construction, which had a deadline of Jestha 20, 2083, was finished in the third week of Magh, said Subaschandra Karki, the operator of the construction company.

He stated, "The painting, signage, and sidebar installation work on the blacktopped road have also been completed. Despite the challenging situation of budget constraints, the project was completed ahead of schedule by mobilizing sufficient laborers, equipment, and managing construction materials."

Contractor Karki complained that although the work is complete, he has not received full payment because the budget allocated by the government has been exhausted. According to the office, a budget of NPR 1.50 crore is insufficient for this project.

Upgrade Over Four Kilometers Distance

Blacktopping using premix technology was completed over a distance of 1 kilometer 900 meters from Bhutadaila to the Ward Office at Nepthechaur. Senior Divisional Engineer Dr. Mahendra Baniya, Chief of the Infrastructure Development Office, stated that over an additional distance of two kilometers from Nepthechaur to the premises of Galeshwor Secondary School in Toripani, the road was widened, grades were improved, curves were rectified, and concrete was laid in difficult sections. Concrete was laid over 550 meters and gravel over 2 kilometers 500 meters. The road, previously 3.5 meters wide, has been widened to at least seven meters.

Gandaki Provincial Assembly member Haribahadur Bhandari, elected from Myagdi 1(1), said that the work completed ahead of schedule on the Beni-Pakhapani project sends a message that delays in development projects can be eliminated if there is the willpower of the contractor, coordination from the concerned office, facilitation from the elected representatives, and support from the community level.

"In a situation where many projects are delayed, leading to abandonment, cost overruns, and the public being unable to benefit, the completion of the project ahead of schedule is a positive development for us," he said. "We have created an environment for the plans brought into the district to be completed on time with quality."

The Beni-Pakhapani road, which connects Wards 9 and 10 of Beni Municipality, and Wards 5, 6, and 8 of Raghuganga Rural Municipality with Beni Bazaar, has been declared a priority project for Myagdi. Local residents expressed joy as this road, whose route was opened by the then District Development Committee in 2056 BS, has been upgraded after 27 years, said Chakra KC, Ward Chairman of Beni Municipality-9. He mentioned that a stakeholder committee was formed to monitor the construction at the citizen level and facilitate the resolution of local problems. The plan operated under the 'DRILIP' project under the then District Development Committee before the implementation of federalism had not reached completion.

Travel Time Reduced

Kshetar Bahadur Chokhal, a resident of Nepthechaur, stated that the travel time has been shortened, and the compulsion to endure troublesome and arduous journeys has been removed. He expressed happiness about being able to travel smoothly on a clean road. Narbahadur Chokhal of Nepthechaur said that the travel time from Toripani to Beni, which previously took an hour, can now be covered in 20 minutes after the upgrade. Auto-rickshaws have started operating from Beni to Toripani.

Local residents have demanded the adjustment of public transport fares and the arrangement of additional plans and budget for the upgrade of the road section from Toripani towards Patlekhet, Jhing, and Pakhapani. Beni Municipality and the Provincial Government had previously blacktopped and concreted approximately five kilometers of road from Beni to Kirakhor.

Provincial Assembly member Bhandari stated that efforts are being made to the Provincial Government for the arrangement of additional budget for upgrading the road from Toripani towards Patlekhet, Jhing, and Pakhapani. He added that coordination is being made with the Provincial Government through the office for the management of the additional budget.

Under the Rahughat-Myagdi Ring Road project, which connects Beni-Pakhapani-Thadakhani-Malkwang-Marang-Bim-Darwang-Beni, a multi-year contract worth NPR five crore from the Provincial Government is being prepared for tender invitation for the upgrade of the Bim-Marang-Malkwang section this year.