Kathmandu: Minister for Urban Development, Sita Gurung, announced on Thursday that two cities along the Mid-Hill Highway will be developed as model towns out of the total of 10 cities in the area. The development of these model towns will be facilitated through a loan obtained from the Town Development Fund.

The two cities selected for this development initiative are Basantapur in Tehrathum district and Sanfebagar in Achham district. The plan involves the Town Development Fund providing 50 percent of the required funds as a loan, while the remaining 50 percent will be managed by the Ministry.

Minister Gurung also highlighted the challenges faced by the citizen housing program due to insufficient budgetary allocations. Although there is a high demand for this program from the public, the lack of adequate funds has hindered its implementation.

Overall, the government aims to promote the development of these model towns along the Mid-Hill Highway by utilizing loan assistance and allocating sufficient resources to meet the demands of the citizen housing program.