Southern road expansion recieves grant
19 December 2009
BO UPDATE The road network in southern Bhutan will be expanded with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) financing US$ 38.76 million to build 183 km of road in the region. The grant agreement, Road Network Project II (RNP-II), was signed on Monday by the Director General of South Asia Department of ADB, Kunio Senga, and Finance Minister Wangdi Norbu in Thimphu.
The project is expected to provide an alternative to the existing east-west national highway for Bhutanese passengers and goods. It would also facilitate industrial development in the southern region, facilitate capacity building, enhance sector on quality control, survey and design, control of overloading and vehicle emission.
RNP-II will support the upgrading or constructing road sections in segments that include highways and feeder roads.
The project include upgrading 37-km Manitar-Raidak road to a national highway, construction of Raidak-Lhamoizingkha national highway (25 km), construction of Panbang-Nganglam national highway (36 km), construction of Tsebar-Mikuri-Durungri feeder road in Pemagatshel (62 km), and construction of Samdrupcholing-Samrang national highway in Samdrup Jongkhar (23 km). During the signing, Finance Minister said infrastructure development was an important component for development, and roads are important to Bhutan.
The grant, he said, would go a long way in meeting a lot of requirements in this development sector. Kunio Senga said road networks are important in context of poverty alleviation.
The total estimate for RNP-II is US$ 54.32 million, of which ADB is financing US $ 38.76 million. The remaining US $ 15.56 million will be financed by the government of Bhutan.
Road officials said about 800 km of roads needs to be built to connect Sibsoo in the west and Jomotsangkha (Daifam) in the east.
ADB is one of Bhutan’s major multilateral development partners. Its operation in the country started in 1983. Since then, it has financed over 24 projects in Bhutan.
It has disbursed over US$ 122 million and new commitments of up to US$ 151 million have been signed. Besides concessionary loans and technical assistance grants, it has been extending substantial investment project grants since 2007.
By Rabi C Dahal
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Loading ...Zakar for Thursday March 11 2010
26th Day of the 01st Month - Iron Male Tiger Year Year
Auspicious for: Construction of new ten-sung, conducting consecration and blessing ceremonies, propitiating gods and deities, sowing seeds, planting flowers, starting business, learning rig-nye and astrology, entering new houses, calling upon superiors and holding discussions. But it is she-zha (unfavourable day) for people who are born in the year of Tiger and Rabbit.
Inauspicious for: Starting construction of houses and conducting lue-cho.
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the roads in the southern part has now become necessity for the people as the highway from India connecting the southern part of Bhutan is no more safe now.
There should be roads connecting all possible regions in southern area so that we need not go via India.