PM Oli inaugurates Pulchowk-Gondrang road section

 Kathmandu, Apr. 18

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the Pulchowk–Gondrang six-lane road section along the East-West Highway in Chitwan on Friday.

The road meets Asian standards and lies strategically between Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Pokhara and  Kathmandu.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Oli emphasised the need to work without prejudice or political division when it comes to the country’s development. He also announced plans to further widen the East-West Highway.

“We are not in an election period, nor is there any need for campaign rhetoric right now. I want to appeal to everyone—not everything needs to be about politics or elections all the time. Let us focus on development,” he said.

“We must unite to build the country. Let’s focus on unity, not differences. While there may be diversity in thought, there is no need for division when it comes to developing our nation. No one else will build our country for us—we must do it ourselves, by strengthening democracy and moving forward with national unity," he added..

 Prime Minister Oli also highlighted Chitwan’s historical and cultural significance, referring to it as a land of civilisation that traces back to the Treta Yuga and the birth of Lord Ram.

The foundation stone for the road was laid by Prime Minister Oli himself on 30 January 2021. The road construction has been completed for Rs 1.13 billion.

Later in the evening, representatives of the Nepal Teachers’ Federation have held discussions with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday regarding the ongoing teachers' protest and possible solutions to the issues.

Following a call by the Federation, teachers have been staging a Kathmandu-centric protest since April 2 demanding, among other things, the prompt passing of the School Education Bill, 2081.

Earlier, on April 7, Prime Minister Oli had directed Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Bidya Bhattarai to carry out necessary preparations to resolve the issues raised in the protest through dialogue and negotiation.

Likewise, in its meeting held on Tuesday, April 15, the Council of Ministers decided to convene a session of the Federal Parliament to facilitate and coordinate the passage of the School Education Bill which is currently under consideration. The session was scheduled for 1 PM on Friday, April 25.

The same Cabinet meeting also reiterated the government's commitment to addressing the legitimate demands raised by the Federation through continuous dialogue, expressing that the government remains sensitive and serious about the matter. In light of the upcoming school enrolment campaign, the examining of SEE exam papers, and the Class 12 examinations, the government appealed to teachers to end the protest and return to their schools.

The discussion at the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar was attended by Federation Chairperson Laxmi Kishor Subedi, Vice-Chairperson Nanumaya Parajuli, General Secretary Tula Bahadur Thapa, and Deputy General Secretary Madan Raj Joshi.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 April 2025.