December 29: The Pushpalal (Mid-hill) Highway has made 64 percent progress in one and a half decades since its construction started. The construction of this highway began in 2064/65 BS. This highway connects 215 settlements of 26 districts in the hill region of the country. The 1,879 kilometres long highway stretches from Chiyo Bhanjyang of Panchthar district in eastern Nepal to Jhulaghat of Baitadi district in far-western Nepal.    
It is believed that nearly 10 million population would directly benefit upon the completion of this highway.    
Although six years have elapsed since the first deadline of this project ended, there is still confusion regarding the alignment of the roadway at several places.    
Project Information Officer Suraj Adhikari said that there is still confusion regarding the alignment of the site near the Budhigandaki High-dam Multipurpose Project. According to him, the alignment of the highway was along the Budhigandaki River in Gorkha district but the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources has written to the project that it was planning to construct the Budhigandaki High-dam Multipurpose Project at the site.    
Adhikari said although there was confusion regarding the highway's alignment in Kaski until some time ago, the issue has been resolved now. He added that nearly 415 kilometres of road and 25 bridges remain to be constructed under the Mid-hill Highway Project. Out of the remaining works, contract still remains to be signed for the construction of 205 kilometres road and 19 bridges.    
The Highway Project has stated that the contract has to be managed for black-topping of 357 kilometres of the highway, construction of 18 bridges and for construction of 134.5 kilometres road in the current fiscal year alone.    
Although the extended deadline for completion of the project terminates by the end of the current fiscal year, it is unlikely that even the contracting process for the remaining works would be completed by that time.    
The alignment of the road has been altered in one section of the highway in Kaski district by a decision of the Council of Ministers.

The project’s Information Officer Adhikari said that the Ministry of Energy has sent a letter to the project to go ahead with the construction of the highway in the Budhigandaki section as it will take 7/8 years more for the construction of the Budhigandaki Reservoir Multi-purpose Project.  -- RSS