RASUWA, Oct 22: Construction of a dry port in Timure of Rasuwa is yet to start due to delay in distribution of compensation for land to be acquired for the project.

The project, which has been awarded to a Chinese construction company, was scheduled to start two months ago.

Assistant CDO of Rasuwa, Deepak KC, said compensation to landowners will be distributed from October 23. As per the work schedule, the Ministry of Home Affairs should have distributed compensation by June.

Only seven landowners have received compensation so far, according to KC. “Around 56 landowners are still to get compensation,” he added. “The process to distribute compensation has been affected as the CDO is on a China visit.”

Kami Sitar Tamang, a resident of Timure-4, he has already visited the District Administration Office for compensation three times, but to no avail.

Locals of Timure had formed a struggle committee to press the local administration for better valuation of their land. The local administration has decided to provide Rs 600,000 per ana for land touching the road to Rasuwagadhi and Rs 400,000 per ana for land not touching the road.

The Chinese government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) one year ago to provide financial and technical help to build the dry port. A Chinese technical team had studied the proposed site two years ago. 

The proposed dry port will have facilities like check posts, warehouses and parking area for containers, among others. It is estimated to cost RMB 86 million. 

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has also expressed interest to upgrade the 16-kilometer Sayaprubeshi-Rasuwagadhi road.

 
• dry port construction
 
• land compensation issues
 
• rasuwagadhi dry port
 
• delayed