Local villagers, with help from an ex-Gurkha welfare fund, have successfully completed a 25 km stretch of road from Jiri to Pirti in Ramechhap, cutting down travelling time from two days to about one hour. The road opens up a hitherto remote area of east-central Nepal and will eventually join a road from the tarai in Okhaldhunga. The inauguration of the road last month saw seven welcome arches along the stretch through Jiri, Betali, Thhose, and Sivalaya. The road was formally inaugurated by the director of the British Gurkha Welfare Fund, Peter Sarland. All we need now is a bridge at Khimti, says Captain Tek Bahadur Limbu of the Fund.