Butwal, Jan. 31 -- Uncertainty surrounding the long-delayed Belbas-Bethari 'model' road project in Rupandehi district is finally over after the federal government agreed to release fresh funds through the Lumbini provincial government, paving the way for construction to resume after a halt of nearly six years.

The 22-kilometre road was envisioned as a flagship tourism corridor linking the city of Butwal with Bethari in Mayadevi Rural Municipality and connecting Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, to the East-West Highway. However, the project had remained partially abandoned due to funding and coordination failures between the federal and provincial governments. Often described as a "lifeline" for Lumbini's tourism ambitions, the project ...