26 Chait, Khotang. There has been a delay in upgrading the Jairam-Halesi road section of Khotang to the standards of Madhyapahari. Although it falls in the ‘alignment’ of Pushpalal (Madhyapahari) highway, the government has neglected to widen this section of the road as per the standards.
The width of other sections of Madhyapahari has been maintained at least nine meters. While other sections of Madhyapahari were built according to the standards, the Jairam-Halesi 35 km section has been completely neglected. The width of the Jayaramghat-Halesi road section is only five meters at most.
Jairam-Halesi road section was pitched in 2065 to 2067. Later in 069/070, when the Madhyapahari Lokmarg project was started, the Jairam-Halesi road was abandoned and only other sections were upgraded.
This road section within Halesi Tuwachung Municipality is the only way to go to and from other cities including Kathmandu. There is a large number of vehicles coming to Halesi and Diktel on this road every day.
As the road is narrow and dilapidated, most of the pilgrims coming and returning from Halesi have been killed. Rajesh Rai, a businessman from Halesi, says that the devotees complain that they have to take risks and cross the narrow road while coming to Halesi.
‘Jayaram-Halesi road section is narrow. It is difficult to turn a long vehicle in the curves,’ he said. During the rainy season, water accumulates in the ditch and forms a hole.’
He says that although the east-west connecting road has been opened, the condition of Jairam-Halesi section in the middle is critical, and it has left a bad impression on the image of the district as far as visitors. ‘It had to be built according to the standards of Madhyapahari. Devotees come to Halesi, a tri-religious place. There is such a big religious place but they question why the road is so narrow,’ he said.
As part of periodic maintenance, the Road Department and the Pushpalal (Midhill) Highway Planning Office have been repairing the Jairam-Halesi road time and again. Madhyapahari has been taking care of that section which is being looked after by the road department after it is in its ‘alignment’. But instead of upgrading that section according to the standards of Madhyapahari, it has been postponed.
Meanwhile, Aren Rai, a member of the House of Representatives from Khotang, met the Prime Minister Balendra Shah and the Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Sunil Lamsal and made a written demand to construct the Halesi-Jayaram road according to the standards of Madhyapahari. Rai, a member of the House of Representatives, said that a budget of 150 crores has been requested to build the Halesi-Jayaram road as per the standards of Madhyapahari.