Govt targets dust-free cities, boosts road maintenance budget
Swarnim Wagle announced that regular maintenance of urban roads will be conducted as a nationwide campaign to improve road quality and public convenience.
KATHMANDU: The government has set an ambitious target to make Kathmandu Valley and other major cities dust-free and free of potholes starting from the upcoming fiscal year.
Presenting the national budget for Fiscal Year 2083/84, Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle announced that regular maintenance of urban roads will be conducted as a nationwide campaign to improve road quality and public convenience.
To support this initiative, the government has allocated Rs 28.52 billion for road maintenance across the country. The budget also includes Rs 3.17 billion for clearing transport disruptions caused by landslides and ensuring quick restoration of highway connectivity, especially in climate-vulnerable areas.
Similarly, Rs 2.46 billion has been set aside for road safety improvements, including traffic signals, intersection upgrades, road markings, crash barriers, and dividers in major road corridors.
The government also announced plans to advance railway infrastructure projects, including construction work from Bardibas to the starting point of the Kathmandu–Terai–Madhesh Fast Track. Ongoing rail projects such as Bathnaha–Biratnagar and Janakpur–Jaynagar–Bardibas will be completed with allocated funding.
In addition, a modern “Blue Bus Service” equipped with CCTV surveillance will be introduced to ensure safer public transport, particularly for women’s mobility in urban areas.
