Khotang, Feb 11 : National Planning Commission’s vice-chairperson Prof. Dr. Pushpa Raj Kandel has said that the mid-hill highway has brought eastern hilly districts closer to Kathmandu. He had arrived Khotang in course of inspecting the status of development works. 

   
At a press conference held at Diktel Bazaar on Wednesday afternoon, Prof Dr Kandel said that the construction of Pushpalal mid-hill highway has enabled an environment so that people can travel to Kathmandu from Dhankuta through short-cut hilly route in a day.    

On the occasion, he shared that the government has put on priority the 635-MW Dudhkoshi reservoir-based project in Khotang, blacktopping of Bangishlaghat-Diktel-Aiselukharka road, operation of Diktel Bazaar road and construction of Ghurmi-Chatara road section.    

He also called for the district residents to lend support to make the development works effective highlighting the importance of people’s participation in development.    

Prime Minister’s infrastructure development management expert Gajendra Thapaliya expressed the commitment to take initiative for the construction of tunnel highway in the potential areas of mid-hill highway. 

   
Likewise, chief of Mid-Hill Highway Project Narayan Prasad Nihure said works are progressing to complete the blacktopping of Diktel-Khachewabhanjyang road section in Khotang within the current fiscal year.  

  
Local leaders of the district had drawn the attention of NPC vice chair kandel to the slow and substandard works being carried out in most of the infrastructure development works in Khotang due to sheer negligene on part of the contractors.    

Vice-chairperson Kandel who arrived in the district with technical team on Wednesday had set out to Bhojpur after observing the blacktopping of Diktel-Chakhewa road section.