The government has initiated the process of setting up a new industrial area in Hetauda to facilitate factories to set up bases, which will help in job creation in the country.

The new industrial area, which will spread on 210 bighas of land at Mayurdhap, is being established as per the plan to set up one industrial area in each of the seven provinces envisaged by the constitution. So far, the government has transferred ownership of the land required to build the industrial area to Industrial District Management Limited (IDML), which oversees all industrial estates in the country. 

The land that was handed over was not registered in anybody’s name. The decision to transfer the land ownership was taken by the Cabinet. 

“To facilitate the process of setting up the industrial estate, a budget of Rs490 million has also been earmarked to prepare a detailed project report,” IDML Manager Nepal Bhusan Vaidya said. “It will take us around two years to prepare the report and build the infrastructure.”

The new industrial estate will house around 100 enterprises. “The area selected by the government is appropriate to set up a new industrial estate, as it is not very far away from the highway. Also, electricity lines could be extended to this area easily,” Nabaraj Aryal, president of Makwanpur Association of Industries.

The establishment of the new industrial estate is also expected to help in economic development of surrounding areas such as Churiyamai and Padam Pokhari. 

As works to build a new industrial area have begun, land prices in the vicinity of the proposed estate have started rising. Earlier, land, which used to cost around Rs200,000 per kattha, now is being traded for Rs800,000 to Rs1 million. “We are expecting prices to further go up once construction begins,” Dipak Khadka, a local, said.

Currently, 10 industrial areas are operational in the country. These estates are located in Balaju, Patan, Hetauda, Dharan, Nepalgunj, Pokhara, Butwal, Bhaktapur, Birendranagar, Gajendrana-rayan Singh (Rajbiraj). Although land has been allocated for establishment of an industrial estate in Dhankuta as well, construction work is yet to begin.

Hetauda saw its first industrial estate in 1963. The estate, which spreads on 2,829 ropanis of land, was built with the support of the US government. Around 63 enterprises are currently operating in the estate, creating jobs for over 2,400 people.