Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that preparations are being made for the full operation of Mustang's Koralana along with the construction of necessary structures and infrastructure.
Prime Minister Oli gave this information in a discussion with the local people's representatives, including the federal MP representing Mustang, at the Prime Minister's residence Baluwatar on Monday. On June 24, on the same day that the Miteri bridge of the Bhotekoshi river at the Rasuwagadhi crossing point connecting Nepal and China was closed due to sudden floods in Gosainkund rural municipality-2, Prime Minister Oli visited the area and instructed the relevant ministries for an alternative route and full operation of the crossing.
Prime Minister Oli also reminded that he started construction of Benighat-Korala road, made Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Muktinath, started the process for operating Muktinath cable car, gave priority to construction of apple super zone and shrimp farming etc.
The delegation requested Prime Minister Oli to reconsider the tourism royalty due to the decrease in the number of tourists when the government declared a prohibited area in Lomanthang and Lo-Ghekar Damodarkund Rural Municipality areas in the upper reaches of Mustang and charged a fee of 500 US dollars per foreign tourist.
Also, it was demanded that the Kagbeni-Korla road section of the Kaligandaki corridor should be paved and the necessary structures should be constructed and Kornana fully operational. Attention has been drawn to the need for physical construction of commercial establishments including customs, immigration, integrated security post, dry port at Korala border crossing. The people's representative complained that the hotels and local businessmen of Upper Mustang were forced to remain at a loss due to the non-operation of roads and checkpoints and the implementation of prohibited areas.
Prime Minister Oli instructed the private secretariat to coordinate with the relevant agencies for the hearing of those demands. A few days ago, a team including Prime Minister's Private Secretary Vinod Bahadur Kunwar visited the Kalindaki Corridor and prepared a report on the initiatives to be taken for the operation of roads and checkpoints.
