Kathmandu, July 13
The International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank has agreed to provide an assistance of US$ 100 million (equivalent to Rs. 8.88 billion) to the government of Nepal for Bridge Improvement and Maintenance Programme and Sunaula Hajar Din-Community Action for Nutrition Project.
Two separate agreements to this effect were signed and exchanged at the Ministry of Finance today.
Lal Shanker Ghimere, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, and Gigyan Pradhan, Acting Country Manager of the World Bank, Nepal, signed on the document on behalf of the respective institutions.
Out of the total assistance, loan assistance of US$ 60 million, equivalent to Rs. 5.33 billion, would be used for Bridge Improvement and Maintenance Programme, and US$ 22 million loan assistance and US$ 18 million grant assistance, equivalent to Rs. 3.55 billion, for Sunaula Hajar Din-Community Action for Nutrition Project.
The objective of the Bridge Improvement and Maintenance Programme is to provide safe, reliable and cost effective bridges on the Strategic Roads Network (SRN) of Nepal.
The Programme is a part of the Department of Road overall road and bridge infrastructure programme set for the in Nepal Bridget Policy and Strategy.
The scope of the SRN Bridge Programme encompasses three primary activities such as planning, technical design and quality control of bridges, major and minor maintenance of existing bridge assets, and new bridge construction.
The expected output of the Bridge improvement and Maintenance Programme includes construction of 121 new bridges and maintenance of 89 urgently needed bridges, 242 non urgent bridges, and 95 minor bridges.
The programme is scheduled to be implemented until July 15, 2017.
Similarly, the objective of the Sunaula Hazar Din-Community Action for Nutrition Project is to improve the attitudes and practices known to improve nutritional outcomes of women of reproductive age and children under the age of two.
The project is to be implemented until June 30, 2017.
