SSB is obstructing blacktopping Postal Highway in Kanchanpur: Minister Jwala

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Prakash Jwala, has said the Indian Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) have been causing obstructions in the blacktopping of the Postal Highway (Hulaki Rajmarga) in the far west Nepal.

During a meeting of the Delegated Management and Government Assurance Committee of the National Assembly (NA) today, the Minister talked about challenges in completing the project due to the non-cooperation from the SSB.

As he said, blacktopping has been hampered in Belauri-Pachui area in Kanchanpur.

Minister Jwala said there are some issues regarding border disputes in the given area and various initiations from the official channel to ease the situation for the highway construction have yielded no results. The Postal Highway is being developed by connecting 21 districts in the Terai from east to west.

The Committee, few days back, visited the area and the Minister was summoned to the meeting today to take information about government efforts towards the project implementation.

According to the Minister, the Foreign Ministry has been requested to facilitate in this matter. He also called for efforts from authorities concerned to address the issue.

Postal Highway Directorate Director Ajay Kumar Mul apprised the meeting that 60 kilometers in Kanchanpur has been divided into three clusters (each cluster measuring 20 kilometers) and the blacktopping is being carried out. Border disputes have hampered the works along 1,400 meter section of Belauri Pachui-Khapati river area.

As he said, there were no issues during the preparations for the blacktopping. The SSB intervened while graveling works were about to start for the blacktopping, citing the area lies on the no man’s land. The Survey Office and Department were also apprised of this development by the road project.

According to the project, a diplomatic initiation is necessary to sort out the issue. The exact location of Pillar number 38 should be identified. As Mul said, they are waiting a substantive direction from the government to proceed with the project implementation.

However the second cluster incorporating the Belauri-Pachai-Khapati River reports the 80 percent physical progress.

Similarly, the project faces issues for the project implementation in 15 kilometers stretch of third cluster as the area lies along the Shuklaphanta National Park area.

The collection of construction materials and the construction works are to be restricted to daylight and it is challenging to transport construction equipment to the site as well. Though Rs 4.5 billion budget was ensured initially for the project, it is estimated to require around Rs 10 billion.