MP Pant Urges Government to Address Uncertainty in Birgunj Road Expansion Project
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- Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswpa) MP Hari Pant has called on the government to resolve the disputes and uncertainties surrounding the road expansion project in Birgunj.
- Pant informed that local residents have opposed reducing the highway width below 25 meters, as all freight trucks entering Nepal from India will pass through the dry port.
- He has demanded accelerated road expansion to facilitate smooth industrial and commercial activities in Birgunj.
April 11, Kathmandu – Member of Parliament Hari Pant (Buddhibahadur) of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswpa) has drawn the government’s attention through the Speaker regarding the confusion surrounding the road expansion in Birgunj.
Addressing the parliamentary session on Tuesday, Pant, also the MP for Parsa Constituency No. 1, stated that Birgunj is facing one of its severest historic problems due to disputes related to the road, urging the government to clear the uncertainties and take a decisive stand on the road expansion.
MP Pant highlighted that all freight vehicles coming from India will enter Nepal exclusively through the dry port, and local residents are opposing road width reductions below 25 meters. He recommended the government, through the Speaker, to make a firm decision and advance the road expansion at a war footing.
He appealed for the removal of complications in the road expansion process and to expedite construction efforts to ensure industrial and commercial activities in Birgunj continue smoothly and return to normal.
MP Pant remarked, “About a month ago, bulldozers were operating from Gandak to Raxaul, through the main market of modern Birgunj established by Veer Shamsher 140 years ago. The market, contributing 60 percent of the country’s total revenue, is now completely disrupted and shut down. There are no markets on either side of the road, only the debris of demolished buildings. In Hetauda, only 25 yards of the highway are damaged, but in Birgunj, up to 25 meters of the road has been destroyed.”