The provincial government of Karnali has developed a master plan to build the necessary road infrastructure across all its 10 districts in order to improve transport services at the rural level.
Senior Divisional Engineer Ramesh Subedi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development of Karnali Province, said, “For the first time, a provincial road network master plan has been prepared in Karnali, in collaboration with the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development and the Department of Local Infrastructure Development.”
The roads under Karnali Province have been mapped using GIS technology and listed district-wise. As per the Work Division Regulations 2017 of the Karnali Province Government, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development is primarily responsible for formulating and implementing policies, laws, standards, and plans related to transport, highways, safe settlements, and land integration at the provincial level. Ministry Secretary Ishwor Chandra Marhatta said, “This includes the formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of infrastructure plans and master plans within the province.”
Marhatta further stated, “In the absence of a road master plan, the process of selecting and prioritizing projects was neither scientific nor transparent. Now, with the preparation of the road network master plan and the introduction of a system to prioritize roads and plan accordingly, we expect planning to become more transparent and objective, ensuring optimal and effective use of limited resources.”
He added that through the policy and program of the Karnali Provincial Government for the fiscal year 2024/25, it was announced that a provincial road master plan would be prepared. The plan prioritizes identified provincial highways and other routes to ensure that road infrastructure—the backbone of development—is balanced, systematic, effective, sustainable, reliable, and safe, with a focus on environmentally friendly and disabled-friendly projects implemented gradually.
The budget statement of the Karnali Provincial Government for the fiscal year 2024/25 also emphasized the preparation of the provincial road master plan and the formulation and implementation of plans and programs based on prioritized roads.
The first five-year plan of the Karnali Provincial Government (2019–2024) included a strategy to prepare a road master plan aimed at developing a quality road network based on the transport sector’s priorities. Similarly, in the second five-year plan (2024–2029), the provincial government expects to approve the road master plan and implement related criteria, priorities, and action plans as part of major interventions for physical infrastructure development.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development Sher Bahadur Budha said that important government documents have consistently emphasized the need for a road network master plan. He noted that the Karnali Provincial Government has announced its intention to approve the master plan within this fiscal year through its policy and budget statement. Development partners supporting roads and bridges in Karnali have also prepared and approved the master plan and recommended that future projects align with it.
Due to a lack of suitable technical manpower within the ministry, the draft master plan was initially prepared in 2020 with assistance from the Local Infrastructure Development Department, Kathmandu, through the Rural Access Program. The draft was finalized after consultations with relevant stakeholders, offices, and public representatives, with support from the Local Roads and Bridges Support Program.
Karnali remains significantly behind in terms of road infrastructure development. Manav Bam, General Secretary of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs of Karnali Province, said, “By preparing and implementing the road network master plan, the government has energized the road infrastructure development sector here. Moving forward, the new budget will prioritize infrastructure development in accordance with the master plan.”
