Burtibang in Baglung district is one of the 10 places along the Mid-Hill Highway that the government planned to develop as ‘model cities’.

In 2011, the Ministry of Urban Development had selected Burtibang along with Basantapur of Tehrathum, Phidim of Panchthar, Dumre Bhansar of Tanahun, Baireni Galchhi of Dhading, Khurkot of Sindhuli, Chaurjahari of Rukum, Rakam Karnali of Dailekh, Sanfebagar of Achham, and Patan of Baitadi to be developed as modern towns with an objective to address growing outmigration, as many people have been leaving their ancestral lands due to lack of inadequate amenities and services.

The government aimed to complete the project within 15 years, with a budget of Rs5 billion for each town.

But Burtibang, the administrative centre of Dhorpatan Municipality, lies in a dismal state, far from what was envisioned with only a few years to meet the deadline. According to the model city development plan, roads, bus parks, schools, colleges, hospitals, electricity, and water supply, among other infrastructure, should be constructed in Burtibang. But many development infrastructures are now left in limbo.

And the bus park is a major concern. “The construction of the bus park was started some three years ago. But the project is nowhere near completion. The vehicles are parked along the narrow roads which cause risks of traffic accidents,” said Raj Kumar BK, Inspector at the Area Police Office in Burtibang.

Burtibang is a busy trade centre for the residents of Dhorpatan Municipality, as well as Tamankhola, Nisikhola and Badigad rural municipalities of Baglung. Even the people from neighbouring Gulmi, Pyuthan, Rolpa and Rukum visit Burtibang for trading. Dozens of vehicles arrive in or set off from Burtibang on a daily basis. “It is a misfortune not to have a well managed bus park in a busy trade centre like Burtibang,” said Chhabilal Pandey, a local.

Construction of the bus park began around three and a half years on the bank of Bhujikhola river in ward 1 of Dhorpatan Municipality. However, the construction work has been delayed due to land disputes and shortage of funds. “Construction is ongoing amid protest by the locals over land dispute. We have neither received enough land for the bus park nor have we gained support from the local people. Also, the project receives a reduced budget every year,” said Ram Krishna Giri, acting chief of Burtibang Model City Development Project. According to him, an angry local resident repeatedly obstructed the construction work and even dismantled the structure of the bus park claiming that the project is being built by encroaching on his private land.

Giri acknowledged the delay in completing the much-needed bus park in Burtibang, and said, “We are not sure when the bus park construction project will be completed.”

The bus park is being constructed in around six ropani (0.3 hectares) of land with an estimated cost of Rs70 million. So far, a total of Rs24.8 million has been spent on the project.

A small playground of Uttarganga Secondary School is currently being used as the makeshift bus park. It can accommodate hardly a dozen vehicles. As a result, many other vehicles have no choice but to park on the roadside, leading to traffic congestion and an increased risk of accidents along the road.

The state of other infrastructures is no different. The Burtibang Model City Development Project started construction of a city hall at Bhawareta in ward 3 of Dhorpatan Municipality. The structural construction of the hall has been completed, but the interior construction remains incomplete.

Meanwhile, the local people express their dissatisfaction stating that the city hall is quite far from the main market area. “It will be challenging to use the city hall, which has been constructed away from the bazar area. I have doubts about its proper use,” said Mankumari Khatri, a local resident of Burtibang.

The Burtibang Model City Development Project was launched some eight years ago. The four-storey office building of the project was constructed at Kutathapla in ward 2 of Dhorpatan, around five kilometers to the west of the main market place in Burtibang. The office building was built with a plan to house the Area Administration Office, Land Revenue Office, and Land Survey Office, among others. However, as of now, none of these offices have been shifted to the project’s office building.

“The government aims to develop the city along the highway to accommodate around 100,000 people in the area. However, we are unable to initiate the planned works in Burtibang due to geographical difficulties,” said Giri. He also added that although a total of Rs 721 million was allocated over the past eight years, only Rs 583.2 million has been spent.