Government to replace wire crossings with foot bridges

KATHMANDU, Oct 13: In his first decision as head of government, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has decided to replace all high-wire crossings over rivers in the country with foot bridges, which are safer.

He made the announcement while assuming the office of prime minister immediately after taking the oath of office and secrecy, Monday.

He said that the government will replace a total of 365 such precarious crossings in the remote areas of the country with modern bridges within two years.

The government plans to construct suspension trail bridges in the remote hills at intervals of three-hour walking distance as the exsiting wire crossings are particularly risky for women, children and the elderly.

The prime minister said, "We have entered a new era where the tuin [local name for the wire crossings] should have no place." The government has allocated Rs 3.25 billion for the purpose.

The government of Nepal has already constructed some 6,000 suspension bridges in various parts of the country.

Likewise, Prime Minister Oli also said that the government will give top priority to earthquake reconstruction work, which has stalled of late. He said the government will formulate a master plan for the construction of earthquake-resistant structures in the quake-affected areas and promote planned urbanization.

Appeal to Madhesi parties for talks

While assuming office as prime minister, Oli also appealed to all the Madhesi parties that have been stagng protests and creating obstructions along the Nepal-India border to come forward for talks. He said that with the participation of Madhes-based political parties in the prime minister's election in parliament on Sunday, the constitutional and legal questions over the new constitution have been resolved and the Madhesi parties that are still agitating should now seek a solution through dialogue.

In what can be taken as a show of readiness by the new government, its first cabinet meeting paid respects to the protestors who died in the Tarai agitations recently and also decided to take the initiative to address the demands of the Madhes-based parties.

Foreign minister entrusted with talks on fuel from India

The first meeting of the cabinet held at Singha Durbar Monday also decided that the high-level team formed by the erstwhile Koirala government under the leadership of then foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey to hold talks with the Indian government on easing the supply of petroleum products and other essentials goods will now be replaced by a team led by newly appointed Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Thapa.

The Koirala government on October 10 formed a seven-member team to hold talks with the Indian government on ending the undeclared blockade along the Nepal-India border.

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