Kathmandu, Mar. 21:His Majesty’s Government has approved the national rural roads maintenance plan and has decided to implement it through the ddcs.

As per the national plan, the ddcs will take the responsibility of maintaining rural roads in their respective areas on cost sharing basis (between the government and the ddc), according to the Ministry of Local Development.

The government will now hand over the rural roads constructed by various government sectors to the ddcs.

The plan provides for a rural roads maintenance fund at the central level and various financial sources for the maintenance of the rural roads network.

The central fund includes 10 per cent of the budget allocated by the government every year for rural roads maintenance, the amount set aside for rural roads as per the roads board act and regulations and amounts received from various foreign donors.

The local infrastructure development and agricultural roads department will provide necessary technical and managerial know-how to the local authorities for implementation of the national plan.

At present there is about 14,000 km-rural roads network in the country.

The ddcs will be required to set up a rural roads maintenance fund at the district level. The government will provide a matching fund after the ddcs deposit their share of contribution.