Chitlang, a popular tourist destination, is at the distance of only 13 kilometres with the opening of the track of Ganeshman Singh Marg from Thankot via Chandragiri.
It used to take at least three hours to gain access to Chitlang from Kathmandu. The distance of 57 kilometres had to be covered via Pharping and Markhu to reach Chitlang.
Thankot-Chitlang Road Project that started from the fiscal year 2071/72 is yet to be completed. The road has been named Ganeshman Singh Marg.
Meanwhile, the track of the under-construction road has been opened for two-wheelers and some small and medium vehicles. Chitlang is now only 14.9 kilometres away from Thankot via the Ganeshman Singh Marg, according to Manoj Bista, spokesperson of the Thankot-Chitlang Road Project under the Federal Road Supervision and Monitoring Office. He said that the total length of the road from Thankot to Chandan Naukhande via Godam, Panighat, Chandragiri Bhanjyang and Chitlang is 22.5 kilometres.
It has been reported that the road construction being constructed under the Department of Roads, has been continued with the contractor company PS Kirateshwor JV.
As of now, after constructing the track, motorcycles and small/medium vehicles can ply the road section to reach Chitlang from Thankot.
The geological situation has been blamed for the delay in the completion of the road project. The management of boulders and cliffs have posed as the major challenges along the road section from Thankot to hilly Chitlang, Bista said. On the other hand, the authorities at local levels have not been able to fully focus on the road project due to contemporary political issues.
A total of Rs 1.3 billion has been allocated for tarmacking the road, said Ramesh Bhandari, the road project's accountant at the Federal Road Supervision and Monitoring Office.
The government has allocated Rs 163.3 billion in the budget presented for the next fiscal year 2078-79 prioritising expansion of the East-West Highway and construction of roads and tunnel roads.
The ongoing road construction has been carried out dividing up the road project into five sections — Thankot-Godam, Godam-Panighat, Panighat-Chandragiri Bhanjyang, Chandragiri Bhanjyang-Chitlang and Chitlang-Chandan Naukhande. Out of a total 22.5-km road, 2.5km road from Thankot to Panighat has been tarmacked while the Chitlang-Chandan Naukhande road section has witnessed tarmac on only 0.5km. Thankot-Chandragiri section has been one of the most difficult parts of the road project.
Lack of responsibility and negligence on part of the contractors engaged in the road construction has also been blamed for the delay in the completion of the road project.
Project accountant Bhandari informed that the project will invite a tender for tarmacking the remaining road sections.
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