The ambitious plan to expand the 30-meter-wide road from Bagbazar to Ugratara Gate in Dadeldhura district headquarters area along the Mahakali Highway has not yet been implemented even after the completion of compensation distribution and removal of house structures. About Rs 650 million in compensation has been distributed so far, according to the Road Division, Doti.

This plan, which is seen as a symbol of development, has been in a state of limbo for a long time due to legal complications, budget shortage and administrative delays. Even though about Rs 650 million in compensation has been distributed so far, the physical progress of road upgrading is almost nil.

The plan was taken forward with the objective of making the road from Bagbazar to Ugratara Gate, the main market area of ​​Dadeldhura, wider, safer and more manageable. This plan was considered very important for the locals who were facing problems in vehicle movement on a daily basis due to narrow and dilapidated roads. However, even after years of the plan, the road expansion work has not started, and the locals are increasingly frustrated.

Under this plan, compensation was distributed in phases to houses and landowners within the road area. The federal government had provided a budget of Rs 200 million to the Road Division Office, Kulpate, Doti for the first phase. From the same budget, compensation was distributed to 106 houses and landowners in the Bagbazar area. In the second phase, an additional Rs 300 million was provided, and 284 houses and landowners were compensated. Similarly, in the third phase, compensation was distributed to the remaining houses and landowners by providing Rs 230 million. Thus, the Road Division Office has stated that compensation worth about Rs 650 million has been distributed in three phases.

After the compensation was distributed, many houses and structures within the road area were removed. Some places in the Bagbazar area have been completely vacated. However, since the road expansion work has not progressed, those vacant places are now being used as temporary motorcycle and jeep parking lots.

One of the main reasons for the delay in the road expansion is legal disputes. Five house and landowners have filed a case in court expressing dissatisfaction with the compensation. The cases are currently under consideration. The plan has been stopped because it will be administratively difficult to proceed with the construction work after the case is filed in court. This plan in Dadeldhura is another example of how such legal complications repeatedly create obstacles in development plans in Nepal.

According to Uday Kathayat, Information Officer of the Road Division Office, Kulpate, Doti, a budget of Rs 200 million was allocated for this plan in the fiscal year 2082/83. However, the work could not proceed as the budget was stopped after the 'Genji' movement. ‘After that, the file has been sent to the department for budget management and the process of getting a multi-year plan of Rs 800 million approved has been taken forward,’ said Information Officer Kathayat, ‘The main reason for the delay is the lack of budget and non-obtainability of multi-year source agreement. The work will be started by moving the contract process forward after the budget is secured in the fiscal year 2083/84.’

It seems that houses and structures are being forcibly removed during road expansion in other cities and markets. But here, the structures were removed with consent after distributing compensation to the house and landowners. Although this was expected to facilitate the implementation of the plan, the process has become complicated when it finally reached the court due to the dissatisfaction of some homeowners.

The lack of road expansion has had a direct impact on daily life. The common people have been suffering due to narrow roads, dusty environment and traffic jams. Locals say that the risk of accidents has also increased as the pressure of vehicles is high, especially since it is a market area.