Madhesh Province's 'One Constituency, 5km Road' Project Remains Stalled in Dhanusha

Dhanusha. Most of the road projects initiated under the Madhesh Province government's ambitious 'One Constituency, 5km Road' scheme in Dhanusha remain incomplete even after four years.

Construction work has come to a standstill due to implementation delays and budget shortages, causing significant hardship for local residents.

The government led by then-Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut launched the project with great fanfare as a 'pride project' in the fiscal year 2078/079. However, as four years approach, seven out of the eight road projects in Dhanusha remain abandoned. The Infrastructure Development Office, Dhanusha, stated that only the Jamuniya-Baniniya-Harsar road has been completed so far.

According to the Infrastructure Development Office, the tendering process and construction work were affected by the failure to release the budget on time. Out of the total allocated budget of 55,526,341 rupees for this project, only 8,971,829 rupees have been paid. The office stated that work cannot proceed because 46,554,512 rupees are still owed to the contractors.

While old projects remain abandoned, the current Minister of Physical Infrastructure Development, Saroj Yadav, has introduced a new project of a similar nature. Despite claims that work on the new project is underway, the government is facing criticism for failing to take concrete steps to complete the old, unfinished roads.

The delay in road construction has made daily life difficult for the public. Local resident Sukhi Mandal from Deuri expressed his frustration, saying, 'The road has not been built for years, causing serious problems for travel. We cannot walk through the mud during the rainy season, and it is difficult to breathe due to dust at other times. We are suffering every day.'
Similarly, Raghav Yadav from Bananiya questioned the government's working style. He said, 'It has been four years, and there is no certainty when the road will be built. Should the current government only distribute new plans, or should it also complete the old abandoned roads? Our lives have become very difficult; please complete the construction quickly.'