February 12, 2009
 Japanese Grant for Sindhuli Road
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The Government of Japan has decided to extend a grant up to fifty million Japanese Yen (¥50,000,000), approximately forty-three million and one hundred thousand Nepalese Rupees (NRs.43,100,000), or equivalent to five hundred and fifty-four thousand US Dollars (US$554,000), to the Government of Nepal for the execution of the Project for Construction of Sindhuli Road (Section III) (Detailed Design) in Japan's Fiscal Year 2008.
His Excellency, Mr. Tatsuo MIZUNO, Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, and Mr. Rameshore Prasad Khanal, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal, signed and exchanged the Notes today on behalf of their respective governments. In the meantime, Mr. Noriaki NIWA, Resident Representative of JICA, and Mr. Krishna Gyawali, Joint Secretary of the Foreign Aid Coordination Division of the Ministry of Finance, also signed and exchanged the Grant Agreement for the implementation of the above-mentioned Detailed Design Work.
The Grant extended to the Government of Nepal today is specifically intended to be used for procuring the services necessary for the detailed design for the execution of Section III (Khurkot - Nepalthok Section) of the Sindhuli Road.
The road to be constructed under this Project is about 158km in length and is divided into four sections. Among the four sections of the Sindhuli Road, Section I - the 37km section stretch from Bardibas to Sindhuli Bazar and Section IV - the 50km section stretching from Nepalthok to Dhulikhel - have already been completed, providing access to the people living in the Village Development Committees (VDCs) adjoining the completed road sections. Similarly, Section II - the 35.8 km section stretch from Sindhuli Bazar to Khurkot is also near to complete.
The Sindhuli Road is one of the most promising and noteworthy projects being implemented under the Japanese ODA, and aims at promoting the economic growth by facilitating socio-economic activities of the Nepalese people in terms of agro-based market accessibility and industrial development. In addition, the total road distance to the eastern sector of the East-West Highway from Kathmandu shall be shortened by about 150km, which will obviously save time and money for road users. Once fully completed, it is believed that its economic and social impact will be undoubtedly substantial for the people of the Kathmandu Valley, as well as for the people residing along the Sindhuli Road and in the Eastern Terai.
At present, a big construction project to upgrade a 9.1km segment of the Kathmandu - Bhaktapur Road section of the Araniko Highway is in progress under the grant assistance of the Government of Japan by expanding the existing two-lane road to four-lanes. This Kathmandu - Bhaktapur Road is designed to serve not only as a road to ensure the smooth transportation of goods and people between Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, but also to play an important role linking the Kathmandu Valley with the Eastern Terai via the Araniko Highway and the Sindhuli Road. Therefore, the Sindhuli Road and the Araniko Highway to be connected with each other shall be vitally important life line for New Nepal's nation building.
H.E. Mr. MIZUNO has further expressed his hope that this assistance, extended today, will prove to be yet another milestone in further strengthening the friendly relationship between Japan and Nepal.
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