It has been 17 years since the start of the East-West Electric Railway project. The railway will connect from Kakadvitta in Jhapa to Gaddachouki in Kanchanpur in the west. In the first phase, the government planned to complete the work up to the Kakdavitta-Nijgarh section by the financial year 2086/87, but so far no work has been done on this section.

The government has reserved 760 bighas of land in Jhapa, Morang Rasunsari for the railway. Since 24th June 2077, when the land has been frozen, the locals have not received any compensation, they have not even been able to buy and sell it. In this context, when will the government give compensation for the frozen land, when will the east-west electric railway be built? Bimal Khatiwada of Kantipur had a brief interview with the Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport :  

Due to the east-west electric railway, the land from Jhapa to Sunsari has been frozen since 2077, no compensation has been given yet, why?

The compensation for the land withheld for a long time could not be distributed. Some amount is in Jhapa and Morang district administration offices. But it was not distributed because it was not enough. We are planning to distribute the compensation by keeping the amount in the budget of the next financial year. Currently, two administration offices have a budget of one and a half billion, but we need 24 and a half billion rupees to distribute compensation. Due to insufficient budget for compensation, it could not be distributed. We will start distributing compensation from next year.

If the construction of the railway is not going to start, why has the land been withheld for so long?

There are a lot of complaints from the locals about the land being withheld for a long time. Many people have also complained to me. It was already said that compensation would be given. When the state had money, it was not given much attention. Later there was a budget problem. The government has also not been able to give compensation due to the forced situation. The problem is the budget. Now the land should not be withheld for a long time. Compensation should be given.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Minister of Physical Affairs and Speaker Devraj Ghimire are from Jhapa, but it is alleged that you have become indifferent in solving the problem, why is the compensation being delayed? Initiatives are being taken for

compensation. The problem is the budget. The state should do something to compensate. They did not just occupy the land and keep it. Either the land should be returned or else compensation should be given. Therefore, we are in favor of giving compensation and progressing the railway work.

Will this problem be solved in the next financial year?

So far, we are proceeding to solve the compensation problem in the next financial year. The budget should be arranged accordingly.

It takes a lot of money to build the east-west railway, which is said to be impossible to build from the resources of the Nepal government.

is not a profit project even if someone is allowed to build it. Even if you work with a loan, it will not give you immediate financial benefits. Therefore, as it is a project of national pride, it is important in terms of 'transport connectivity' with South Asian countries. That is why we have advanced it. Its construction is estimated to cost 15 billion rupees. It should be built by the Nepal government. Now the land should be taken by paying compensation in the east-west section. Work is underway to connect the Jayanagar-Bardibas section with the railway. After that, from Bardibas to Nijgarh in Bara, it forms a kind of circle after connecting to the fast track. So the first priority should be given to it. After that, the work of east-west railway should be carried forward.

There is also a compensation problem in the Bardibas section under the Jayanagar-Bardibas railway, how will the problem be solved?