Whether high-level teams visit China or when high-level Chinese teams come here, one of the projects that is often not missed is the Tokha-Chhare tunnel. This project has been discussed for years but the study has not been completed yet.

When Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli visited China last November 17, the project was also placed under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). During that time, the 'BRI Cooperation Framework' was signed between the high officials of the two countries. Although this project falls within the framework, how the construction process will proceed is not clear. The Nepal government has been asking China to build the project with subsidies. 

According to the road department, the study of the Tokha-Chhare tunnel was prioritized during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal on October 25, 2016. On December 11 of the same year, a Chinese consultant team came to Nepal for a pre-feasibility study, said Vijay Jaisi, head of the Department's Development Assistance Implementation Division. The team studied the location of the tunnel.

After completing the study on January 1, 2076, the Chinese consultant made a presentation to the road department, in which 3 options were shown. According to the study, the distance of the tunnel is estimated to be 4 to 4.5 km. Jaisi said that the department has provided the necessary documents to the Chinese team.

On February 1, 2076, at the request of the Chinese consultant, the data of vehicles plying daily on three roads was also provided. "The data of vehicles plying daily on Kathmandu-Tokha-Chhare-Vidur, Kathmandu-Okharpaua-Vidur and Kathmandu-Naubise-Galchi roads was provided," he said. 

The subject of tunnel construction has been mentioned in the annual budget. A budget of 1 billion rupees was allocated in the last financial year to proceed with the construction after completing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study. Nothing could be done from that budget. He said that since the budget was not spent, the funds were transferred to other projects. "The said money was allocated for the compensation of houses and land in the construction area," Jaisi said.

Jaisi said that China has asked for the EIA report of the Tokha-Chhare tunnel. "According to the rules, EIA cannot be done without DPR, the Forest and Land Conservation Department has written a letter saying that we will allow all the studies," he said. .' 

According to Mahesh Bhattarai, joint secretary and spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance, a request was made to the Chinese government last August to build the tunnel with a grant. "Now BRI is within the cooperation framework," he said, "but its implementation modality is not clear yet."

'It has not been decided whether this project will be done by the Chinese side and handed over as a tank project or whether it will be contracted according to our system and China will provide the funds,' he said, 'but we have always been saying that it will be done with a grant.' He said that there will be an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the project implementation level. "They send a team to tell when to start and then the work goes on," he said.