Nepali Congress Whip Niskal Rai Draws Attention to Poor Condition of Ilam Roads

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress whip Niskal Rai has drawn the government's attention to the dire condition of the Mechi Highway and other alternative road sections in Ilam. Speaking in the House of Representatives meeting on Wednesday, MP Rai stated that the citizens of Ilam are facing great hardship due to the lack of infrastructure.

He commented that Ilam, known as a 'green city', has now become 'muddy' due to the dilapidated state of its roads. He mentioned that the terrible condition of the Mechi Highway has created a situation where it is not even possible to transport sick and new mothers to hospitals in Jhapa for treatment.

MP Rai objected to the fact that despite repeatedly raising demands in the house for the construction of Bailey bridges over the Mai Jogmai and Puwa rivers, and highlighting the precarious condition of the Rajduwali and Simalgolai road sections, there has been no response. He complained that although the Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport visited the area, no concrete steps have been taken for improvement.

He stated that although Ilam was declared a crisis-affected district last year due to natural disasters, the budget sent by the government has not been fully implemented, and this year it has been further neglected. Stating that Ilam is also at risk of monsoon-related disasters, he urged the government to make necessary preparations.

Speaking about the dire road condition in Ilam during the meeting, whip Rai said, 'We used to call Ilam the green city Ilam. But today it has become muddy Ilam. The condition of the Mechi Highway is so dire that if any citizen falls ill in Ilam, or if a new mother, it is not possible to reach a hospital in Jhapa.'

Stating that the condition of alternative routes and Bailey bridges is also the same as the dilapidated state of the roads, he expressed dissatisfaction with the visit of the Infrastructure Minister. He said, 'The Infrastructure Minister went to Ilam, saw those road sections, and walked on them. I had hoped that he would observe the dire situation and return. But that did not happen.'

Suspecting political prejudice in development construction, he questioned, 'Do the citizens of Ilam have to be representatives of the ruling party for those infrastructures to be built? Otherwise, Ilam should have been heard. It was not heard.'