Bhairahawa, Apr. 9

After the construction of the four-lane Bhairahawa-Parasi Postal Highway with the Asian Development Bank’s assistance, industrialists and entrepreneurs have been attracted to establish industries and business along the road.

When they saw a favourable industrial environment after the completion of the road, the businessmen have urged the government to develop the road sector as the Bhairahawa-Parasi industrial corridor.

"Realising the favourable environment along the newly constructed Bhairahawa-Parasi road, the government should allocate budget in the next fiscal year to develop the area as an industrial corridor, said Bishnu Sharma, chairman of Sidharthanagar Chamber of Commerce.

As the road sector is economically feasible to establish industries to reduce the cost of production and ensure a smooth supply of their products to the major markets, the government should give priority to develop the place as an industrial corridor, he argued.

The road sector is close to the Indian boarder to import raw materials and close to major markets of Nepal like Pokhara Narayangadh and Kathmandu, he informed.

According to him, vehicles need not to pass through Butwal to supply goods to Kathmandu from this road sector which reduces the time and fuel costs in supply.

Now, some industries of mattress, cable, furniture, cattle feeds, and rice mills are in operation in the sector and rice mills, cement block and brick factories are under establishment.

Though more industries are seeking to come along the corridor, lack of infrastructures has been a problem for them. As the area is not connected by 33 thousand kva electricity line, large industries could not be established. Now there is only 11-thousand kva line.

"Due to the lower voltage line, we are facing problems in operating our factories, said Bibek Agrawal, Managing Director of the Lumbini Mattress Industries. Agrawal demanded for the 33-thousand kva line in the corridor.

If the government provides 33-thousand kva line along the Bhairahawa-Parasi corridor, we are planning to establish our industries there, said youth entrepreneur and director of Sidhartha Group Rajesh Kumar Agrawal.

As per the government’s recent decision to restrict operating any industries along 15 km of Bhairahawa-Lumbini Corridor considering the environmental impact on Lumbini, industrialists have found Bhairahawa-Parasi Corridor as best alternative, said Rishikesh Agrawal, manager of Ambuja Cement.