KATHMANDU, May 29, 2012
The government has finally made arrangement for partial budget to acquire land for the construction of Bijulpura-Jayanagar railway track. The project had been facing long delays after Ministry of Finance (MoF) failed to make timely arrangement of funds.
Ministry of Physical Planning and Works and Transport Management (MoPPWTM), which is supposed to carry out the land acquisition, finally got Rs 690 million. The government has estimated Rs 1.25 billion for the acquisition of land.
According to Tulsi Prasad Sitaula, secretary of the MoPPWTM, MoF has approved budgetary transfer of Rs 500 million and provided additional Rs 150 million. The government had allocated Rs 40 million through the budget of current fiscal year 2011/12.
“We have formally approached the Indian government to start the bidding process for the construction of railway track,” Sitaula told Republica on Sunday. He further added that the MoPPWTM has arranged money from other projects´ budget that remained unspent.
Acknowledging the delay, the Public Account Committee (PAC) of parliament had directed the government to arrange the necessary funds. According to DoR, it needs to acquire 220 hectares of land from Janakpur to Bijulpura to upgrade the existing track.
Nepal and India agreed to develop Janakpur-Bijulapura railway track in February 2010, when President Ram Baran Yadav visited India. Under the project, the Indian government agreed to upgrade the existing 51-km long railway track to broad gauge and extend it up to Bardibas, a major junction along the proposed East-West railway. India has allocated Rs 600 million for the project.
However, the project is not likely to start within this fiscal year. “It takes at least 3 months from the bidding process and it is almost impossible to start the construction this fiscal year,” Sitaula said.
The MoPPWTM, which will soon start distributing compensation to the local land owners, will first use the available money to acquire 15 km stretch of land in the Biratnagar border area to extend railway track. “And rest of the money will be used in the Janakpur-Jayanagar area,” Sitaula said.
Source: Republica
The government has finally made arrangement for partial budget to acquire land for the construction of Bijulpura-Jayanagar railway track. The project had been facing long delays after Ministry of Finance (MoF) failed to make timely arrangement of funds.
Ministry of Physical Planning and Works and Transport Management (MoPPWTM), which is supposed to carry out the land acquisition, finally got Rs 690 million. The government has estimated Rs 1.25 billion for the acquisition of land.
According to Tulsi Prasad Sitaula, secretary of the MoPPWTM, MoF has approved budgetary transfer of Rs 500 million and provided additional Rs 150 million. The government had allocated Rs 40 million through the budget of current fiscal year 2011/12.
“We have formally approached the Indian government to start the bidding process for the construction of railway track,” Sitaula told Republica on Sunday. He further added that the MoPPWTM has arranged money from other projects´ budget that remained unspent.
Acknowledging the delay, the Public Account Committee (PAC) of parliament had directed the government to arrange the necessary funds. According to DoR, it needs to acquire 220 hectares of land from Janakpur to Bijulpura to upgrade the existing track.
Nepal and India agreed to develop Janakpur-Bijulapura railway track in February 2010, when President Ram Baran Yadav visited India. Under the project, the Indian government agreed to upgrade the existing 51-km long railway track to broad gauge and extend it up to Bardibas, a major junction along the proposed East-West railway. India has allocated Rs 600 million for the project.
However, the project is not likely to start within this fiscal year. “It takes at least 3 months from the bidding process and it is almost impossible to start the construction this fiscal year,” Sitaula said.
The MoPPWTM, which will soon start distributing compensation to the local land owners, will first use the available money to acquire 15 km stretch of land in the Biratnagar border area to extend railway track. “And rest of the money will be used in the Janakpur-Jayanagar area,” Sitaula said.
Source: Republica
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