KATHMANDU – The government has initiated a campaign to develop ten new cities in five regions of the country.
“Works on infrastructure development for this big project has already begun”, said Krishna Raj Pandey, Chief of the New Towns Development Project. The ten new towns would be built along the Mid-Hill Highway.
The places selected for the cities are- Phidim of Panchthar, Basantapur of Terhathum, Khurkot of Sindhuli, Baireni-Galchhi of Dhading, Dumre Bhansar of Tanahu, Burtibang of Baglung, Chaurjahari of Rukum, Rakam Karnali of Dailekh, Sanphebagar of Achham and Patan of Baitadi district.
The places for this big project are selected on the basis of access to transportation, drinking water, availability of land, potentials for economic development, settlement in vicinity, population and so forth.
The project would be implemented under the 20 year perspective plan, Pandey said, adding that initiation in this regard was taken after preparing detailed reports. The government has already begun major infrastructure developments at Sanphebagar of Achham and Chaurjahari of Rukum.
Baireni of Dhading and Basantapur of Terhathum have also launched some work about the project.Under the project, offices of mid-hill new town development project would be set up.
The government brought forth this ambitious project of developing cities to reduce growing human pressure in the big cities including the capital city, Kathmandu. It is believed that with the completion of the project, migrations to the new cities would grow and settlements rise.
According to Pandey, government has planned to request World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other commercial institutions for the completion of the mega project. RSS