KATHMANDU- As the deadline for the construction of the Muglin-Abukhaireni-Pokhara road section for which the Chinese company has taken the construction contract is approaching, the work has stalled. Although the contract was signed on 17th January 2077 and it was said to be completed by Baisakh 2081, even though there are only 8 months remaining, not even 20% of the work has been done.

Although the Chinese company said that it will complete the work by dividing it into two sections, the work is stalled by creating a dispute with the Nepalese contractor.

It was said that under Muglin-Pokhara road extension, Tanahun section was divided into two parts. The progress of both the sections so far has not reached even 20 percent. As there are 8 months remaining for the completion of the work, the progress is slow and there is a suspicion that it will not be completed on time.

Similarly, the progress of the section from Jamune to Pokhara is only 4.1 percent. The pace of work in this section is even slower. It is said that the work of cutting the wall and making the wall is going on in this section as well.

It was for the work of the eastern section. Three big and four small bridges will be constructed in this section of 41.45 km. The contract for the eastern section was awarded to China Communication Construction. The term of this clause is till 2081 Baisakh.
Under the western section, from Jamun to Pokhara, an agreement was signed on June 2, 2078, and the work started on August 12, 2078. The Chinese company Yanhui Kaiyuan Highway and Bridge Construction was entrusted with the construction of this section.

The project work was delayed for some time as there was a demand for royalty from the local level for the construction materials released during the widening of the road. Now the problem is said to be solved.

With the help of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan, the road is going to be made into a four-lane road after the increase in traffic on the road, which was planned in the year 2026. The contract for the eastern section is Rs.6 billion 21 crore 31 lakh 13 thousand and the contract for the western section is Rs.7 billion 40 crore 46 lakh.

The four-lane road boundary will be 25/25 meters in both directions. A 41 meter wide road will be constructed in densely populated areas. According to the design, a 41-meter road will be built in Damauli and Dumre Bazar in Tanahun. The width of the road from Dulegowda to Khairenitar Bazar, Kotre Bazar area and Kaski from Gagangouda to Pokhara will be 46 meters.

After the delay in the expansion of the highway, attention has been drawn to the matter in the central and state government assemblies. Earlier, Physical Infrastructure Minister Prakash Jwala has also asked the Chinese company to complete the work on time.

Travel on the highway has become difficult due to delays in highway expansion. Due to the mud on the highway during the rainy season, it is very difficult to reach the destination.