RASUWA, Aug 22: Locals affected by the construction of the dry port at Rasuwagadhi border point have received compensation money, barring 15 households.

Seven house owners and landowners whose names were missing in the list have received the compensation money. The District Administration Office (DAO), Rasuwa has distributed Rs 2.34 million in July and Rs 549,674 in August in compensation to the affected locals.

However, one affected household, verified by Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB), is yet to receive compensation. On the other hand, names of 14 affected households are missing in the recommended list.

Chief District Officer Arjun Bhandari said that a letter regarding the compensation issue has been sent to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

"They thought the locals had built houses after the distribution of compensation," he said, "But the affected locals should get the compensation if the houses were built before that."

He said that the ministry and the concerned bodies should address the complaints by conducting a field study.

According to Pramod Acharya, a civil engineer at the NITDB, study on the missed affected locals is going on. “We are studying whether the names of affected locals were really missed in the list or were added later,” he said, adding: “We won't miss the real affected locals.”

MASTER LIST APPROVED

Tibet Fuli Construction Group Company Limited who has been provided the responsibility for the construction of the dry port will import construction materials from China. Ministry of Finance has approved the master list for the import of the materials.

Manpower for the construction will be brought from China as the project will be constructed by the Chinese team.

“The plan for the construction of the project was scheduled for last year but was delayed due to technical problems,” Acharya said. "Even though the agreement was signed on May, the construction work could not gain momentum as it had to go through many processes and it was hard to lay foundation during monsoon."

According to the NITDB, the Chinese side will first set up a camp. “We will coordinate only as the project is being built by Chinese team with the investment from Chinese government,” Acharya told Republica, adding: “Discussion on what teams from each side will do is being discussed.”

The Chinese government has stated that the dry port will be constructed in two phases. The work according to the design will be completed in the first phase and rest of the work will be done in the second phase. Required land for the construction of the dry port in Timure of Gosaikunda rural municipality, Rasuwa has already been acquired.

Total 8.5 hectares of land including five hectares of Langtang National Park, 58 ropanis of locals and 101 ropanis of land under the ownership of government have been acquired for the project. An agreement to complete the project by the Chinese government and later handing it over to Nepali government has been signed.

 
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