Voters in Bara Angry as Bridge Construction Stalls Four Years After Groundbreaking

Bara. Voters are furious because the bridge over Ramnagar Pasaha Khola on the Simara-Kolhawi road section has not been built even four years after its foundation stone was laid.

Local voters complain that candidates promise to build the bridge every election when seeking votes, but they never return after winning.

The foundation stone for the bridge was laid just before the representative and provincial assembly elections of 2079 BS. The then Federal Member of Parliament Rambabu Prasad Yadav and Ramasahaya Prasad Yadav (current Vice President) jointly laid the foundation stone. In the last election, Rambabu was defeated in Bara-3, while Ramasahaya became Vice President immediately after being elected from Bara-2.

Voters in that constituency elected Jwala Kumari Sah of CPN-UML. However, locals complain that Sah has made no effort for the bridge's construction in the nearly four years since her election.

Ramagya Sah, 78, a resident of Jaitapur, Jitpur Simara-17, lamented that no leader has ever been born who truly works for the people.

'There are no leaders for this area; all leaders come, go, look around, but none of them do anything,' Sah said, 'We are Congress supporters, we have been voting for Congress, but now our hearts are broken.'

Due to the lack of a bridge over the river, this route remains closed for the entire months of Ashar and Shrawan (monsoon). Locals have to travel around for an hour to use the East-West Highway.

Travelers working in industries in Simara and commuting to Kolhawi, Karaimai, Baragadhi, and Rautahat face major problems. For passengers traveling from Simara to Gaur in Rautahat, using the Simara-Kolhawi road reduces the distance by up to 60 kilometers compared to the main highway.

Sah stated that if this bridge were built, it would be much easier. Locals here have to cross the river to obtain citizenship certificates and recommendations from the ward office. When the river floods, they are forced to take a detour of 20-22 kilometers.

Sanjay Majhi, a fish trader who brings fish from Bodhwan to sell in Dumrawana and Fatehpur market, expressed anger, saying that the public will show the leaders who promised to build the bridge during the election what they are made of this time.

'There are many problems with roads and bridges here,' Majhi said, 'The public will show the leaders who do not return after winning the election in the upcoming polls.'

Dhanasundar Prasad Sah of Jaitapur, Jitpur Simara-17, complained that Rambabu Prasad Yadav, who laid the foundation stone for the bridge in the last election, never returned, and Jwala Kumari Sah, whom the people elected, has also made no effort for the bridge construction.

'Because there is no bridge, we cannot cross when it rains; ambulances cannot reach when children are sick,' said local resident Sah, 'When Jwala Kumari Sah was elected, she also promised to build the bridge, but she hasn't returned.'

Accusing leaders of only distributing assurances during every election, locals from Jaitapur and Ramwan have even prevented leaders from major parties who come seeking votes from holding public programs this time.

Youth in the area have protested against the former Federal Member of Parliament from Bara-3, Jwala Kumari Sah, for not returning to the village after being elected and neglecting the public's problems. Sah responded that the government led by KP Oli fell while she was actively pursuing the matter.

Similarly, Rambabu Prasad Yadav stated that after being defeated in the election, he found no platform to raise the issues of the people.

'The bridge construction work could not move forward because the contract was not awarded in the first phase; the elected MP should have taken initiative to re-tender the contract, but they did not,' Rambabu said, 'Even after losing the election, when I tried to follow up, the officials at the Bridge Division treated me with prejudice, asking why a defeated MP should be concerned.'

Locals say that the tender notice for the Pasaha Khola bridge construction, worth 25 crore rupees, was issued four years ago. The construction work could not proceed because the contract failed in the first phase and the elected Federal Member of Parliament showed no interest.