The Ministry of Finance has approved budgetary source consent amounting to Rs. 2.19 billion for the repair and reconstruction of roads and bridges in Ilam damaged by heavy rains on October 4 and 5.

The Ministry of Finance provided the source approval for programmes submitted by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport for the repair and reconstruction of damaged roads and bridges.

According to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the amount will be spent on the repair and reconstruction of the Mechi Highway, Maikhola Bridge at Rajduwali, Maikhola Bridge at Belase, Puwakhola Bridge, Jogmaikhola Bridge, and the Mechi Corridor.

Out of the total amount, Rs. 540 million has been released to meet immediate needs in the current fiscal year. With the source agreement in place, the procurement and tender processes for the reconstruction of roads and bridges can now proceed.

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Kul Man Ghising has directed the Department of Roads to immediately initiate the tender process, as resources have been ensured for the repair and reconstruction of road structures damaged by the disaster.

The reconstruction work will be implemented by the Road Division, Ilam, under the Department of Roads.

Following the monsoon-induced disaster that claimed 39 lives and caused extensive damage to physical infrastructure, the government declared Ilam a ‘disaster-affected’ district for three months on October 9.

On October 11, a team comprising Minister Ghising, Secretary Keshav Kumar Sharma, Home Secretary Rameshwor Dangal, Director General of the Department of Roads Bijay Jaishi, and Chief Executive Officer of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority Dinesh Raj Bhatta visited Ilam to inspect the damage.

The team expressed its commitment to providing immediate relief to affected households, restoring normal life through prompt repair of damaged structures, and formulating both immediate and long-term plans.

Of the total approved amount, the highest allocation - Rs. 1.5 billion - has been made for the reconstruction of the Mechi Highway.

Similarly, around Rs. 200 million has been allocated for the Maikhola Bridge at Rajduwali under the Mechi Highway, Rs. 250 million for the Maikhola Bridge at Belase on the Mechi Corridor, and Rs. 50 million each for the construction of Bailey bridges at the Puwakhola and Jogmaikhola bridges.

Likewise, Rs. 140 million has been allocated for the Mechi Corridor, which serves as an alternative route to the Mechi Highway.

Of these allocations, Rs. 250 million for the Mechi Highway, Rs. 50 million for the Maikhola Bridge at Rajduwali, and Rs. 100 million for the Maikhola Bridge at Belase have been released immediately, said the Ministry.

Similarly, around Rs. 40 million for the Mechi Corridor has been released in the current fiscal year, while the full amount required for the construction of the two Bailey bridges has also been released.