The DoR, which is the implementing agency for more than five dozen road projects, has been allocated more than Rs 32 billion. The Physical Infrastructure Ministry, however, has said contracts are being awarded and that the capital expenditure will grow soon.
The Jajarkot-Dunai road, which connects Dolpa, saw the highest physical progress (construction work) of 98 percent. The Nepal Army is involved in the track opening of the road project and has assured the government that the road would reach Dunai by the next fiscal year if the required budget is allocated, according to Arjun Jung Thapa, spokesperson for the DoR. The Army has sought an additional Rs 130 million for this project.
Dolpa and Humla are the two districts where road link is yet to reach. The government has targeted to connect Dolpa district headquarters Dunai within the next fiscal year and Humla by 2015-16.
In terms of budget spending, the Syabrubesi-Rasuwagadhi road stood number one, spending 41.84 percent of allocated fund of Rs 178 million, according to the department. Even as the physical progress and budget spending look less significant, DoR officials are hopeful of making a “good progress” this year.
“The first four-five months is basically a processing period, for which progress looks small,” said Rajesh Yadav, chief of Project Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the DoR. He said since contract awards have been encouraging, the DoR expects progress 85 percent progress in spending this year.
Normally, annual spending of the department remains below 80 percent. In the Kathmandu valley, the government has aimed at graveling 8.59 km and blacktopping 17.51 km road under the Kathmandu Valley Road Construction and Improvement Project. In the first four months, 1.7 km road has been gravelled.
Under the Kathmandu Valley Road Improvement Project, the government has targeted to blacktop 27.43 km, of which 8.82 km has been completed, posting progress of 21.35 percent in spending, the DoR said. Among the top priority national projects, Mid-Hill Highway spent 14.38 percent of the budget, achieving 42.98 percent physical progress. A total of 4 km of the targeted 24 km of the road has so far been gravelled.
Mid-Hill Highway project officials said track opening of the remaining 2.5 km in Western section is expected to complete within a month.
The Postal Highway project spent only Rs 85.1 million of the allocated Rs 2.21 billion, while the North-South Corridor project spent 80 million out of Rs 510 million allocation in the review period.
Another national pride road project—Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track Road—has failed to see any progre-ss. Track opening is yet to be done in Khokana, Lalitpur. The project has been allocated Rs 500 million.
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