Kathmandu, June 9

A personal assistant (PA) of a government minister has been putting pressure on the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) to construct road on the way to political leaders’ residence by using funds being allocated to renovate heritage site.

PA of Minister for Local Development Purna Kumar Sherma Limbu is insisting to construct a section of road from Banasthali to Bohoratar in Kathmandu. Interestingly, Bohoratar VDC does not fall in the KMC. Bohoratar is a settlement of VIPs including political leaders, minister’s relatives and Nepali Congress Vice President Ram Chandra Paudel.

PA was asking to use budget being allocated by the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture for the promotion of heritage site. The MoFACAPAC is going to provide an amount as grants in the current fiscal year to the KMC for maintaining archaeological values of private houses around Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, enlisted under the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to the KMC, some Rs 27 million has been proposed in the MoFACAPAC for the heritage promotion. The proposal was submitted to the ministry about two months ago, said KMC deputy executive chief Deepak Koirala.

PA was demanding KMC administration at around 1:45PM yesterday to construct road from the fund being provided by the Culture Ministry. He also told KMC deputy executive chief Koirala to provide 10 litres of fuel for Minister’s vehicle in front of the THT scribe who witnessed the incident without introduction with the Minister’s PA Tekendra Limbu. Koirala recommended immediately on a slip to provide fuel.

When asked Limbu on telephone today, he denied putting pressure on KMC administration. “I didn’t ask the KMC to use budget allocated for culture on roads. I only requested for the budget to construct road,” he forcefully claimed, warning that if the wrong news is published, it should be corrected.

Mod Raj Dotel, secretary at the MoFACAPAC, said that they would provide the fund for compensating people to maintain old heritage while reconstructing old houses. “We will provide budget to the KMC through the Department of Archaeology. However, the sum of the budget is yet to be finalised,” he said. “We will ask the Ministry of Finance for the amount,” he added.

Dotel explained that the budget allocated for culture and heritage should not be used on other heads. “If this happens, this will go against the norms,” he said.

Indra Man Singh Suwal, chief at the Building and Heritage Division, KMC, said that the budget amount proposed to the Culture Ministry was details of expenses of last two years on culture and heritage. KMC has already paid the amount in the promotion of culture and heritage. “KMC provides 10 per cent of the construction cost of the front face of building to the owners. But nobody has come to claim it,” he said. However, the KMC is to increase the compensation amount from this year in order to encourage locals.

Kathmandu, June 8

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has gone for a decade against the Local Self-Governance Act 1998 that has enshrined mandatory provision of master plan and periodical plan with vision, policy and programmes, mission and goal in the local bodies.

However, the capital centred only metropolis of the country has failed to formulate the master plan and periodical plan since 2000, said Nama Raj Dhakal, finance officer at the KMC. “This has badly impacted on the different development activities in the civic body,” he said.

The master plan, which designs how to execute different programmes skilfully and effectively, is a visionary indicator of overall programmes such as sanitation, children, literacy, poverty reduction, employment, traffic management, road and sewerage construction, health, drinking water among others. The periodical plan envisages management of certain programmes to be implemented targeting a timeframe.

The KMC administration is handled by a government secretary as executive chief and a joint-secretary as an acting chief. But it seems that they always ignore forging plans.

KMC sets up Public Complaints Unit for the first time

Kathmandu, June 8

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has just set up a Public Complaints Unit (PCU) for the first time. The PCU aims at receiving any kind of complaints, suggests and development demands from the people. The decision to establish PCU was made on May 12.

Prahlad Ghimire, officer at the PCU, said that the unit was established under the directive (2066bs) issued by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. “People can lodge their complaints via tole-free number and fax. We will hear and report them after studying cases of complaints and its nature,” he said. “We are going to install phone and fax soon,” he added.

As the Ministry of Local Development asks it about the master and periodical plans, the KMC remains unanswered. Money is being wasted and infrastructure in the civic body is frequently destroyed due to the lack of the plans, said Dhakal. “The road is broken immediately after the maintenance. Once road is constructed, the sewerage or drinking water project or telecom start cracking the roads for the maintenance of infrastructure,” he said.

Dhakal worried that the failure to formulate and execute the plans has created chaos by encouraging unmanaged growth of city against the set standards. “The KMC is centred on only roads and drainage, overshadowing other prominent programmes,” he said.

Deepak Koirala, deputy executive chief of the KMC, said the large majority of the local bodies across the country were unable to make master and periodical plan. “This has been badly affected owing to the vacuum of elected representatives in the local bodies for a decade,” he said.

“The Act is yet to be enforced in practice,” he said. “The changing political situation is one of the major constraints for failing to implement the rules,” he added.

There are 58 municipalities, 75 district development committees and 3,915 village development committees throughout the nation.

Kathmandu, June 1

In a bid to manage haphazard traffic system in the city by the end of 2014, the Sustainable Urban Transport Management Project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is being launched from August.

The project supported by ADB will begin from August, according to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). The project aims to improve operation of public transportation, implement traffic management plan for the central areas of the valley, introduce pedestrian areas within the old towns of Kathmandu with links to transport facility and improve air quality of city by promoting electric vehicles.

ADB has assured to support about US$ 22 million as grant and loan for the project, said Devendra Dongol, chief at the Urban Development Department, KMC. “The KMC and the government will make efforts contributing together for success of the overall programmes,” he said.

The Department of Roads under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Transport Management Department under the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, Traffic Police under the Ministry of Home Affairs and KMC under the Ministry of Local Development will jointly work to achieve the goals.

ADB agreed to carry out survey on the project about eight months ago. The six-month study surveyed by the ADB technical team was recently completed and finalised. The project includes developing parking stations at the southern part of Tundhikhel, premises of Social Welfare Council, Lainchaur, banks of the Bishnumati river and major city centres. “The project has aimed to develop underground parking area at Tundhikhel,” Dongol said.

The haphazard parking lots on the streets and the areas including Durbar Marg, Bhotahity, Sundhara and New Road will be removed. The project plans to reopen Bhadrakali-Maitighar road crossing the Army Headquarters. The road was closed about a decade ago during the Maoist insurgency due to the security reasons.

ADB will provide full support to develop intersections at Teku, Sorhakhutte, Paropakar, Dallu and Bishnumati corridor junctions. The Bishnumati Link Roads will be extended from Teku to Balkhu along the Bishnupati and to Kupondole along the Bagmati.

“ADB will also support 33 per cent of the expenses to develop pedestrian zones on the city roads and streets,” said Dongol. “This project has also planned to promote electrical vehicles and traffic light system, purchase equipment checking vehicle emission and strengthen capacity of traffic police.”

ADB has also agreed to support for carrying out survey and design of the Old Bus Park Redevelopment Project. “KMC will adopt public-private-partnership modality for the development of this bus park,” he said.

KMC in coordination with traffic police declared Hanumandhoka Durbar Square as vehicle restricted zone about two months ago. “KMC is planning to declare the heritage site areas from Hanumandhoka Durbar Square to Thamel as vehicle free zone. The streets will be stone paved and solar panel technology will be adopted to electrify temples, courtyards, public places and roads for the conservation of heritage sites and promotion of tourism and business in the area,” he said.

Deepak Koirala, spokesperson for the KMC, said that the agreement of the project coordinated by the MoPPW would be signed between ADB and Ministry of Finance in June. “The civic body will also work to reconstruct and rehabilitate historic buildings along with the city management for regain lost glory of historical city,” he added. “We will work in coordination with the local people.”

Kathmandu, May 29

Nangcha Pyakha, a traditional dance of Newar community at Bungmati in Lalitpur that disappeared six decades ago due to the influence of modern culture and lack of operating cost is being revived again from this year. The dance is believed to bring peace and prosperity in the society.

Nangcha Pyakha is a cultural dance performed specially by the Khalitung Dafa Khala (Maharjan community) for several centuries. The dancing orchestra comprises of 28 performers including six dancers. All of them should know to play the long curved Nyoko and  Indrayani instruments. Among them, six should know to dance.

A man and a woman called Nang and Nangcha (naked persons wearing a belt, a crown and covering only the reproductive organs, will perform dance in the Dashain festival, said Kapil Bajracharya, a local priest and advisor to the Nangcha Pyakha Khaltu Dafa Khala, a committee formed to revive the tradition.

The dance was used to be performed on the final celebration of flowers (Phoolpati) brought from Gorkha on the seventh day of the greatest Dashain festival of Hindus to the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu. The flowers are brought to Bungmati from Hanumandhoka in October. These dancers were the special agents to welcome the ritual. The dance was used to be displayed on the every evening for a month beginning from mid-July as part of tradition.

Several attempts were made to revive the culture in the previous years but to no avail. “We resumed our attempt to revive the tradition two years ago. The government heard our voice this time and provided a revolving fund of Rs 300,000,” said Bajracharya, who is also a craftsman at the Department of Archaeology (DoA).

The Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture recently provided Rs 300,000 for the purpose. “This amount is not enough to manage everything including costumes and feasts for the performers,” said Bajracharya “There is no sample of costumes used in dances in existence but Hari Maharjan, 88 and Sanu Maharjan are the living legends of eyewitnesses of the dresses used in dance. We will remake them as per the original embroidered Makhmali dress,” he said.

Bungmati is the centre of famous chariot pulling festival of Rato Machhindranath, god of kindness. Other some cultures practiced at Bungmati Namuna VDC, centre of typical and strange cultures, are on verge of extinction. They include Hanuman Jatra, white horse festival, Indrayani, Nyakhi and Nyoko instruments owing to the influence of modern culture on the young generation, said Bajracharya. “We are working to make them alive,” he said.

Bishnu Raj Karki, director general at the DoA, said that there were many cultural practices disappearing from the societies. “We need to a big amount to help revive them,” he said. “ Locals should take initiatives and cooperate for the preservation of our unique cultures,” he added.

The land properties under the Guthis, which were established to promote local cultures, were given to the priests and operators after the establishment of Guthi Corporation and land reforms policies implemented in the country about four decades ago.

Kathmandu, May 26

The cultural development committees formed under the Heritage Development Committee Act 2013BS in order to manage the cultural and heritage shrines and sites could not perform well owing to the political intervention to appoint the committee director, chairperson and members even without meeting minimum requirements.

According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture (MoFACAPAC), there are nine cultural development committees across the country. They are Patan Museum Area Development Committee, Pathivara Area Development Committee, Devghat Area Development Committee, Halesi Mahadev Area Development Committee, Bhanu Bhakta Janma Area Development Committee, Manakamana Area Development Committee, Budhanilkanta Area Development Committee, and Barah Area Development Committee.

“Apart from Patan Museum, every development committee has failed to perform well due to the political intervention in appointing the operating committees,” said Jalkrishna Shrestha, joint-secretary at the MoFACAPAC. “Neither the committees have visionary plans nor they have sufficient budget to develop these heritage sites,” Shrestha, who is also the spokesperson for the ministry, said.

If the cultural sites were operated with good management, they could earn a lot and sustain reasonably, said Shrestha. Budhanilkantha receives Rs 300,000 while Devghat is given Rs 10 million every year. “The government allocates budget ranging from Rs 300,000 to Rs 10 million for those development committees while the Pashupati Area Development Trust, operated by different laws, receives nearly Rs 100 million annually,” he said.

The political appointees are replaced along with the change in government although a committee is legally eligible for four years. “However, they are removed even in two months because of change in government,” said Shrestha. “Any government does not dare to abide by laws,” he complained. “The appointees even fail to meet minimum qualification as per the existing rules.”

In such a pathetic situation, the government’s preparation to transform Narayanhity Museum and Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square Museum into development committees is not more than a blunder, said the MoFACAPAC officials.

The development committees in other ministries have a similar tale to tell. Lake Development Committees under the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Monastery Development Committees under the Ministry of Local Development, and Guthi Corporations under the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management are in a sorry state.

The Administration Restructuring Commission submitted a report to the Office of the Prime Minister about a week ago. “A separate umbrella act is needed to regulate the cultural and heritage shrines. If the guidelines recommended by the commission are implemented, it will improve far better,” Shrestha said.

Kathmandu, May 7

Attacks with sticks and hatchets on peace rally demonstrators demanding new constitution, peace and stability, and against the general strike called by the UCPN-Maoist show that terrorism is still contaminated in the Maoist blood.

Thousands of people from all walks of life thronged peace assembly organised today at Basantapur by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and the Professionals’ Alliance for Peace and Democracy. On the sixth day of general strike, about 100,000 people came to the Kathmandu valley streets against the Maoists’ unconstitutional obstinacy demanding to dissolve the present government.

People gathered to express solidarity to non-violence, peace, law and order and bringing new constitution in the country. They were holding placards written in ‘we want peace, no pieces of Nepal’, ‘we don’t want strike, closure and violence’, ‘Nepalis wish for peace and unity’ and ‘Maoist, withdraw strike!’. They turned to a peace rally chanting those slogans after brief addresses were made this morning.

Maoist claims that only their cadres are people. The misinterpretation of Maoists about people was challenged by the huge presence of people in the peace assembly. Teachers, students, doctors, lawyers, business persons, farmers, artists, intellectuals, local people and journalists attended the peace rally.

The programme was began at 9:00 AM and artists Hari Bansha Acharya and Madan Krishna Shrestha presented their opinions in an emotional way urging the Maoists not to trouble people. “Political leaders are servants and people are bosses. So they should respect the voice of people,” said Acharya. “We want peace and non-violence,” he added.

Both of them presented caricatures of their tele-serial characters Madan Bahadur and Hari Bahadur on political leaders and satirised upon their ill-intention to get the chair of Prime Minister.

However, the Maoist cadres including YCL members, who landed on the streets with sticks, bricks, nailed wires and weapons terrorising people in the name of peaceful movement, attacked on the peace rally participants in different places in Kathmandu. About two dozens ordinary people were injured in the Maoist attacks.

The Maoists attacked the people at Sorhakhutte, Ratna Park, Old Bus Park and Patan, They blocked the people, who were walking to attend the peace assembly, at Patan, Kupondole and Ratna Park and one dozen people were beaten at Sorhakhutte while returning to their homes.

Moreover, the Maoist cadres with sticks, stones and weapons blocked the peace rally marching at Exhibition Road towards Constituent Assembly hall at Baneshwor. Police was compelled to control the mass and open tear gas shells to disperse the aggressive Maoist workers in those places.

“Maoists are on the wrong path with abnormal activities,” said Shankar Tiwari, an MA level student taking part in the peace rally. “Maoists need to review their false interpretation about people and follow the constitutional way,” he added. “These who participated in the rally are also people. They should learn from this and withdraw their strike.”

FNCCI president Kush Kumar Joshi urged the Maoist to solve the problem within two days and call back their non-sense strike. “The political parties should reach to consensus and coordinate for the interest of people instead of their partisan interests,” he added.

Kathmandu, May 5

The participants in the general strike called by the UCPN Maoist are strongly in favour of peace and new constitution. They vehemently condemn the violation and bloodshed twice again in the country.

On the fourth day of general strike that badly affected the normal life in the Kathmandu valley, the Maoist supporters and cadres who are on Kathmandu streets for five days shun violence and killings of Nepalese once again. However, the senior leaders of UCPN-M are frequently indicating towards violent struggle for decisive or final war if national government led by Maoist is not formed.

Gayatra Raj Thakuri, a young farmer and Maoist activist, said there was no alternative of consensus and coordination among the political parties. “The political parties should agree upon through talks without deceiving people,” he said.   “If the leaders urge us to begin war again, I am not ready to involve in it. I don’t want bloodshed again,” Thkuri said. “We fought earlier but now we want peace and no more war in the country,” he added.

“All people want the same.”   Thakuri, who came in Kathmandu five days ago, said that the leaders were using people as ladder to reach the post of Prime Minister and ministers in the past. “It be not again so. They should give priority for nation and people instead of power politics,” he said, indicating the Maoist leaders.

Hari Chandra Bharati, a local from Kadambas VDC-3 in Sindhupalchowk district, said that nobody wanted violence in the country. “We came here only for peace. The movement should not turn into bloodshed,” Bharati said.

“Each of the political parties should sacrifice something for the interest of people and nation,” he said.  Krishna Tamang, a grocery retailer who is in Kathmandu for a week, said that the present movement was a part of putting pressure on the political parties to write new constitution and bring sustainable peace in the nation.

“The demonstrators also don’t want violence to take place again. The government also should be responsible towards the people,” he said.

Tamang has not washed his clothes nor bathed once in a week after he came to Kathmandu. “The way out must be sought through talks. I don’t think the country will fall again in victim of murder and killings,” he said.

The political parties are holding talks everyday but to no avail. People are disappointed from the behaviour of leaders regarding the talks. “They hold talks at hotels, have snacks and get out without any resolution,” said Lila Nath Nepal, who was demonstrating at New Baneshwor. “They are not much serious about the problem. It has been two years since the Constituent Assembly election was held for writing constitution. The tenure is about to end but there is no progress yet. So we are here to pressure them to seek a solution,” said Nepal. “We want only peace and new constitution.”  School teacher Hom Nath Nepal said that they would not return to home until the way out was sought.

“Maoist-led government and new constitution with peace are our demands. We are ready to fight again if PM Nepal does not resign blocking constitution writing under the influence of India,” he blamed. “However, we want only peace,” he concluded.

Kathmandu, May 1

At a time when Maoist leaders were shouting at Tundukhel for making indefinite general strike being launched from tomorrow hit the nation, the people from all walks of life criticised it as a ploy to get the post of Prime Minister by troubling the sovereign citizens.

Nepal loses value equivalent to Rs 2 billion including taxes and pay of salaries to the workers daily from closure strike. It will be unfortunate and dire strait of violations of human rights if it continues indefinitely only for the sake of the vested interests of leaders of a political party to head the government, people concluded it in this way.

The Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (UCPN-M) demonstrated a huge rally today to mark 121^st may Day in rage of not getting chance to head the government. Its chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ addressed the mass forcefully brought from different parts of the country threatening to bring turmoil in the country unless the Maoist-led coalition government was formed.

A 47-year old Basnet woman from Barhabise of Sindhupalchowk district was distressed aside the mass of the people at Tundikhel. “I was forced to come here in Kathmandu to take part in the programme. I was not interested in such programmes,” she said, refusing to disclose her real name.

“I don’t know anything about May Day nor about forming government. I was afraid of happening anything in the demonstration and I did not permit my husband to come here,” she said. “I wanted to face any untoward consequence to save my family member. They forced one of family members to attend rally in Kathmandu,” said Basnet, who arrived here the day before yesterday.

They promised Basnet and his neighbours to bring them back this evening. “However, we are not sure of it. If the general strike continues from tomorrow, we have to suffer here more than we can endure,” she said.

The story of Basnet is an anecdote to many people who came in Kathmandu to take part in the Maoist rally. A six-grader student Dipen and another seventh grader student from Ramechhap were also disappointed about hearing the indefinite strike being continued from tomorrow. “They lied us and brought here to trap in the strike for their interests,” they, who arrived first time in the capital, explained. “We were told to go back today but it is impossible.”

A grocery owner, who was forced to donate food stuffs yesterday to the Maoist supporters at New Road, Kathmandu, said that there would be big problem to feed the mass of people during the strike. “This may lead to a terror explosion in the valley,” he said requesting anonymity. “A small mistake of the political parties to call general strike may cause a big loss to the people and nation,” he worried.

He said the big three political parties-UCPN-M, Nepali Congress, and CPN-UML should reach to a consensus to save the nation. “Ordinary people will be killed if the war is started,” he added. “They are fooling the people.”

Kul Devi Baral, a second-year student at the Central Department of Education, Tribhuvan University at Kirtipur, said strike would trouble the ordinary people in the name of people. “We have to suffer much from price hike in market, travelling, losing time of earning bread, pollution by burning tyres and likely to lose property and life of people if unexpected events take place,” she said.

Baral urged the political parties to solve the problem through dialogue. “If the strike is beneficial Maoist leaders, it will be harmful to all people including students who may lose a year from the obstruction exams,” she said.

Rupesh Dahal, hailed from Sindhuli and a ninth grader at Occidental School at Anamnagar, is experiencing tension and relief at a time from the news of general strike. “We will be deprived of learning rights. It is waste of our money paid to school,” he said. “However, we will get chance to play and entertain though we are not in favour of them instead of going to school,” he added.

Vegetable seller Goma Timilsina from Tukucha and fruit seller Krishna Paudel from Anamnagar were much worried about earning bread for daily livelihood. “We have to earn by day and have by evening. So strikes will be curse for us,” the echoed similar voice. “The strike should be ended for all and good.” they said. “Whoever are the strike callers, they should respect people’s rights to work for living,” they added.

Kathmandu, April 27

The government could neither provide security to the Village Development Committee secretaries letting them work freely away from extortion and death threats nor has it been able to fulfil positions in more than 800 VDCs.

According to the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD), there were 1,419 out of 3,915 VDCs across the country lying vacant till March for more than a year. Government relocated some 600 posts recently. Now, there are still 863 VDCs without secretaries, who deliver the government services to the people from the ground level.

Thirty-nine VDC secretaries resigned en masse in Ilam district yesterday due to the extortion, abduction and death threats issued by different armed outfits and cadres of extremist political parties. It is not limited in only one district. Around three dozens of VDC secretaries were killed, many kidnapped and more threatened during the last 15 years. Of them, about six secretaries were killed in different districts after the peace process began in 2005.

“Many more secretaries are facing serious threats in the eastern hilly and Terai districts,” said Govinda Rijal, officer at the Personnel Administration Section, MoLD. “No one likes to be transferred to those districts,” he said. “However, we assign them there as per rules. They come back to the Ministry after a few weeks demanding transfer to safer districts,” he added, showing an application for transfer of a VDC secretary.

Rijal said that they were working continuously to relocate and appoint the secretaries in the vacant districts. “We have just demanded the Public Service Commission, the government staff recruiting body to call vacancy for 341 posts officially,” said Rijal. “They will be fulfilled within six months and then about 495 VDCs will remain without secretaries,” he said. “The worsening security situation of the country has added woes to the government service delivery in the local levels.”

The VDC secretaries are entitled to implement the government programmes and budget for development, issue various recommendations including for citizenship certificate, passport and register personal incidents such as birth, marriage and death. They are also handling the responsibilities of elected representatives for last eight years since the local elections were held 13 years ago for five year tenure.

The senior officials at the Ministry were hesitant to talk about the government responsibility to provide security to the government staff handling double duties. “It is very difficult to say about what the solution of the problem is regarding the security of the government staff,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the MoLD.

Thapaliya underlined the first need of holding polls to elect the people’s representatives in the local level. “Neither the political parties nor the government is interested in it,” he said. “The political stability and maintaining of law and order in the country only can ensure the security of people and government staff,” he added. “No one feels secure now.”

Parsa, Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha, Saptari and Kapilvastu in Tarai most vulnerable districts lying upto three dozens of VDCs without secretaries due to the threats, donation and abduction.

Kathmandu, April 26

The repaired roads in the Kathmandu valley sing tune of rippling and ugly quality prone to falling prey of casualties. However, the Department of Roads (DoR) under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) coats it as a result of financial constraints and mechanics handling instead of maintaining standards.

According to the DoR, MoPPW is entitled to some 315km of main roads while the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) works with about 700km of inner roads and streets in Valley. But the DoR and MoLD both act in a similar way of negligent performance.

Dil Krishna Shahi from Teku, who has been pursuing driving profession for 22 years, said the road authorities maintained would not remain in good condition even for a couple of months. “The condition of inner parts of the roads is not improved and keeps going as they were two decades ago,” said Shahi while waiting for passenger at New Baneshwor. “Neither the administration nor the traffic police is worried about improving the situation.”

Shahi was tired of driving on such corrugated roads and expressed grievances over possibilities of hitting people and vehicles, damage of engines, consumption of more fuel and delay in reaching the destination. “However, we have never heard of taken action against constructors,” he added.

Scooty-rider Poonam Pokhrel from Kuleshwor in Kathmandu said that the sections of majority of roads were in ridged condition, likely to cause accidents. “The authorities are interested in only filling up potholes rather than maintaining roads as per quality of construction,” she said. “The contractors or government agencies whoever they are, they are keen on making money instead of building roads,” she blamed.

About 70 per cent of the total vehicles out of the nation ply on the valley roads daily. A total of about 806,000 vehicles of all sorts including majority of motorcycles have been registered at the Department of Transport Management. However, the overall maintenance of roads has not been carried out since SAARC conference was held a decade ago.

There are three kinds of maintenances—routine (all the year), recurrent (2-3 cycles/pear) and periodic (5-7 year/cycle). However, they have not been fully practised as per at least 40mm layer in repairing, admitted Balram Mishra, chief at the Kathmandu Valley Division of Roads.

“We need some Rs 490 million annually to maintain valley roads but the government allocates only Rs 140 million,” said Mishra. “Following some machinery problems and the heavy pressure of vehicles by the day, we are compelled to work by night that has caused deformity of roads,” he added.

A total of Rs 2 billion was allocated for the MoPPW road maintenance in the current fiscal year. The Ministry has proposed Rs 6 billion to the National Planning Commission for 9,000km of roads repairing across the country in the next fiscal. Additionally, the MoLD operates with nearly equal lengths of roads to MoPPW.

The country boasts of the roads worth Rs 250 billion, investing some Rs 22 billion annually. “Some roads have not been maintained even for last 15 years,” said Hari Om Srivastav, DDG at DoR.

Admitting the low quality of road repairing, Ram Kumar Lamsal, Director General at DoR, said that one fourth of all roads has gone deteriorating every year due to the lack of maintenance. “The focus was given on construction of news roads. Therefore, we have given the priority on the policy of ‘better roads better safety’ and started practising it recently,” he said. “We need a total of national maintenance budget to make the valley roads smooth.”