Despite the government's claim that it has given 'special priority' to the Tinker Road, construction work is slowing down due to low budget allocations.
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The government has claimed to have given 'special priority' to the Khalanga-Tinkar road connecting Darchula to the northern Tinkar checkpoint in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84, but the allocation has been limited to Rs 129.9 million.
The Nepali Army is constructing the Tusarpani-Kothedhar-Tinkar road section under the Mahakali Corridor. Although the government has claimed to have been giving high priority to the construction of this road since 2077, locals complain that it has been skimping on budget allocation. Locals complain that the process of giving priority in speeches and skimping on allocation has not stopped this time either. Haraksingh Bista, a local of Byas Rural Municipality, says, 'Every year we hear that Tinkar road is given high priority, but when we look at the budget, that priority is never seen. The government's words and actions are not in line.'
In the federal government's budget for the next fiscal year presented on Jestha 15, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle mentioned that the work of opening the track of Tinker Road has been given 'special priority', but the amount was not disclosed. When the budget details were made public, it was found that Rs 129.9 million was allocated for capital expenditure and Rs 3.6 million for current expenditure for the road. Local level public representatives, on the other hand, had expected a budget of at least Rs 30/35 million for the next year. Beas Rural Municipality Chairman Mangal Singh Dhami said that this time's budget has also disappointed the border residents. 'Every year, we go to Kathmandu and request the Prime Minister, ministers and leaders to provide sufficient budget for Tinker Road,' he said. 'Everyone says that they give priority in meetings and speeches, but that commitment is not visible in the budget.'
The government had given the responsibility of constructing the 79-kilometer road from Tusarpani to Tinker Bhanjyang under the Mahakali Corridor to the Nepal Army in the fiscal year 2077/78. The army had set a goal of opening the track and completing the upgrade within 10 years and handing it over to the Road Department.
But due to lack of budget and resources, only about 17.5 kilometers of track have been opened so far, while some sections have been upgraded. According to the Nepali Army, the progress of the total project has reached only 22.15 percent. 59.2 kilometers of track are yet to be opened to extend the road to the Tinkar checkpoint.
Dhiren Singh Budhathoki, ward chairman of Beas Rural Municipality-2, says that sufficient budget is needed for roads connected to the lives of border residents. 'With work at this pace, there is uncertainty about when the road will be completed,' he said, 'We are facing problems even going to our own villages without a road. The government is always talking and only giving a little budget; border residents are becoming frustrated.'
Earlier, the Khalanga-Tinkar road was included under the budget heading of the Mahakali Corridor. From the next fiscal year, a separate plan has been made and the budget has been allocated for the Tusarpani-Tinkar Bhanjyang road. Local stakeholders consider it positive, but say that the allocated amount is not sufficient.
Looking at the previous budgets, Rs 224.7 million was allocated for the Tinkar road in the fiscal year 2078/79. Rs 106.2 million was allocated in 2079/80, Rs 154.9 million in 2080/81, Rs 91 million in 2081/82 and Rs 63.1 million in the current fiscal year. Locals say that although the Rs 129.9 million allocated for the next year is slightly higher than the previous year, it is much less than the construction needs.
According to Mohan Singh Tinkar, a resident of Tinkar, Beas Rural Municipality-1, this road is a strategic infrastructure directly linked to national security, the movement of border residents, and the Kalapani-Lipulek region. 'This road should be completed quickly to strengthen the state's presence on the border and provide citizens with access to basic services,' he said.
Currently, residents of Tinkar and Chhangru in Beas-1 are forced to use the Indian road to travel to and from the district headquarters, Khalanga. Due to the lack of a road, they still have to travel risky using the Tuin over the Mahakali River.
The government has already spent about Rs 630 million since the fiscal year 2078/79 on the construction of a road connecting the Tinkar checkpoint, which is considered important for trilateral trade, Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, and tourism promotion. Locals complain that the government has not been able to show it in the budget allocation even though it has always said that it is a special priority.
