Construction of the road connecting Ramaroshan, a major tourist destination in the Sudurpaschim Province, remains incomplete seven years after work began. The delay has affected both locals and tourists, causing hardship and hampering tourism potential.
The Infrastructure Development Office in Achham is overseeing the construction of a 68.976-kilometer road, divided into three sections: Bannigadhi Jayagadh Rural Municipality to Jayagadh-Majhthana-Gauta Khola (12.438 km), Darna-Mujabagar (38.850 km), and Mujabagar-Ramaroshan (17.688 km). Three different companies were contracted to complete the project.
Bajraguru Construction Company Pvt Ltd signed a contract in fiscal year 2018/19 to complete its section by 1 July 2022, for Rs 30m. Anak Jayadevi JV was assigned the Darna-Mujabagar section with a contract worth Rs 137m, while PS Baniya JV was contracted for the Mujabagar-Ramaroshan section for Rs 574m in 2019/20.
According to Nayan Bahadur Budha, Accounts Officer at the Infrastructure Development Office, Bajraguru has so far received Rs 236m, Anak/Jayadevi JV Rs 67.4m, and PS Baniya JV Rs 265m. However, no payments were made to PS Baniya JV in FY 2020/21 and 2024/25, Anak/Jayadevi JV in FYs 2021/22, 2023/24, and 2024/25, and Bajraguru in FY 2023/24, due to lack of progress.
Office Engineer Dipendra Thapa said that the contract deadlines for all three companies have been extended twice. Anak/Jayadevi JV’s work has been stalled since 2021/22, after a flood damaged its section. “Baniya is working now, and Bajraguru is expected to begin blacktopping in August. We’ve made repeated requests. Anak/Jayadevi JV’s variation order has been submitted to the Council of Ministers multiple times, but there has been no response. Anak had completed about 35 percent of the work, which was washed away by the 2020 flood in the Kailash River,” he said.
Under the Public Procurement (Fourteenth Amendment) Regulations 2025, contractors can apply for a deadline extension if the work could not be completed on time due to various reasons. They must submit an application detailing the incomplete work and required timeline, along with a commitment not to claim additional funds. The concerned authority is required to decide on the extension within 30 days, failing which departmental action may be taken against responsible officials.
The 18 Aug 2020 flood in the Kailash River caused extensive damage in the Ramaroshan area. Seventeen people lost their lives in Sain Bazaar, and infrastructure including roads, bridges, police stations, and hydropower plants was destroyed.
“If road access here were better, more foreign tourists could visit,” said Purna Bahadur BK, Executive Director of the Ramaroshan Area Tourism Development and Management Committee. “Physical infrastructure is key to unlocking Ramaroshan’s potential and contributing to the national economy. Even now, tourists come despite poor roads—if improved, the numbers would increase significantly.” He blamed contractor negligence for the delays.
The delay has severely impacted tourism development in the area. Jhapat Bohara, then a Provincial Assembly member from Achham-1 (B) and now a central committee member of the CPN-UML, had allocated budget for blacktopping the Jaigad-Ramaroshan road when he served as Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning in the Sudurpaschim Provincial Government.
