Ravi Lamichhane Meets Birgunj Business Leaders on Gandak-Customs Road Dispute

Birgunj. The dispute over the bulldozer run on the Gandak-Customs road section in the densely populated area of Birgunj about two and a half months ago has reached Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Ravi Lamichhane. The issue was brought to Chairman Lamichhane on Thursday afternoon under the leadership of RSP Parsa Chairman and Member of Parliament for Parsa-1, Hari Pant, through officials of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

A team of officials including the President, former presidents, senior vice-president, vice-president, and general secretary of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who came to Kathmandu with the issue of Birgunj's main road, met Lamichhane at his residence and presented their concerns. After listening to the problems from the Chamber's side, Lamichhane stated that he would call the concerned minister to discuss the solution to the problem. Senior Vice-President Madhav Rajpal from the Chamber presented other problems of industrialists and businessmen related to the main road thematically.

Confusion has spread in the densely populated main market of Birgunj after the Road Department bulldozed and demolished it about two and a half months ago. The court's decision of 25-25 yards regarding Hetauda market, which is on the same Tribhuvan Rajpath, and the decision of 25-25 meters regarding the Birgunj road, also under the Tribhuvan Rajpath, the change in the alignment of the Tribhuvan Rajpath by a cabinet decision to establish Parwanipur Dryport, and the decision of the Birgunj Metropolitan City Council to recommend demolishing only 15-15 meters on both sides of the road have further added to the confusion.

Birgunj, which is considered the economic capital of the country, is currently in disarray with construction materials and debris of demolished structures scattered on both sides of the main road in the market. The risk has further increased as shops are being operated from the demolished houses, taking risks.

Just 15 days ago, the Road Department issued a seven-day notice to remove structures on both sides of the road that were yet to be demolished, after which RSP Parsa Chairman Hari Pant requested the Road Department to postpone it for a few days.