Major Political Parties Prioritize Infrastructure, Energy, and Agriculture Modernization in Election Agendas

Kathmandu. As the House of Representatives election on Falgun 21 approaches, major political parties have unveiled ambitious manifestos prioritizing physical infrastructure, energy, transportation, and agricultural modernization as key agendas.

Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), among others, have presented infrastructure development as the main basis for economic transformation in their electoral agendas.

Analyzing the manifestos of these four parties, candidates are currently focusing on door-to-door campaigning with ambitious plans in the infrastructure sector. Major parties have put forward agendas in infrastructure areas such as road expansion, railway development, expressway construction, tunnel construction, electric public transport, and energy production expansion. However, there are differing views among the parties regarding implementation strategies and priorities.

The Nepali Congress has emphasized improving implementation, quality control, and institutional coordination, while UML has reiterated its commitment to rapidly completing large physical projects. CPN (Maoist Centre) has entered the electoral arena with a commitment to rapidly completing incomplete national pride projects and initiating new strategic infrastructure. RSP has focused on long-term energy export, smart grids, and digital infrastructure.

Congress's Pledge: Emphasis on Quality and Accountable Development

The Nepali Congress, which has been working on major highways, north-south corridors, important bridges, and rural road concepts for decades, has pledged to take infrastructure development to a new phase. Balanced, sustainable, and quality infrastructure development has been given high priority with the goal of ending the disparity between villages and cities and ensuring equal access to services and opportunities.

The Congress is committed to selecting projects based on national priorities and needs, ensuring resources, and completing projects on time by coordinating inter-agency and stakeholder efforts for integrated infrastructure construction, thereby removing the reasons for project delays and ensuring effective resource mobilization.

The Congress has stated it will advance legislation related to alternative development finance and create legal provisions to mobilize project-specific resources from banking, institutional, and non-banking financial sectors. The Congress's pledge states, "We will attract international investment in large and complex projects through EPC, EPCF methods, and within six months, establish a framework for Hybrid Annuity and Swiss Challenge methods, amending and implementing the Public Procurement Act."

Furthermore, the Congress pledges to make roads accident-free, operational year-round, and connected to local government centers, incorporating environmental sustainability, lighting, access, and high-tech infrastructure in road construction, and developing safe access and road information systems for all villages. To reduce road accidents, the Congress pledges to prioritize safety measures in road design and construction, along with road upgrading, vehicle testing, and driver monitoring.

The pledge states, "We will complete the expansion and upgrading of all sections of the East-West Highway to four lanes. We will facilitate all necessary measures to complete the Kathmandu-Terai Expressway." It further states, "We will expedite the reconstruction work of the BP Highway and complete the remaining blacktopping section of the Kanti Lokpath within one year to ensure a permanent alternative route to the capital."

As per the pledge, the Madan Bhandari Highway and all North-South corridors will be completed and public transport operated. Priority will be given to tunnels on roads connecting North-South, the Siddhababa Tunnel project will be completed, advanced construction technology for specific types of bridges over rivers and gorges will be introduced, and river embankments will be developed to be usable as alternative roads.

The Nepali Congress has put forward another ambitious plan to develop a citizen-friendly, fast, and safe public transportation system, gradually electrifying it, prioritizing non-motorized transport, walking, and cycling in urban areas, and establishing a Transport Authority for overall management in this sector.

The Congress plans to initiate the necessary procedures for the construction of the East-West railway connecting Kathmandu and cross-border railways, and conduct a feasibility study for the Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini electric railway. Investing in necessary infrastructure and facilitating operations in areas with potential for water transport has also been put forward as another electoral agenda.

UML's Commitment: Energy Export, Fast Transport, and Digital Corridors

UML has announced a commitment to bring structural changes in energy, transport, and digital infrastructure with a target set for the year 2087 BS. The party has put forward a long-term plan to make Nepal an energy export hub by replacing unsafe transport and weak energy networks.

UML's manifesto states, "By 2087 BS, replacing unsafe transport and energy networks, Nepal will become an energy export hub through an installed capacity of 15,000 megawatts and a 'Smart National Grid'. Safe and fast movement will be ensured by completing 30,000 km of quality highways and 10 strategic signature projects on time."

Along with this, the party is committed to expanding high-speed accessible internet to every settlement and developing national highways as economic corridors connecting industrial and agricultural pocket areas.

CPN (Maoist Centre)'s Declaration: Rapid Infrastructure, Energy Expansion, and Regional Agriculture Program

CPN (Maoist Centre) has announced a plan to rapidly complete incomplete national pride projects and initiate new strategic infrastructure. The party has put forward multi-dimensional development agendas covering roads, rail, air, water transport, energy, and agricultural modernization.

The manifesto states, "The East-West Highway, Postal Highway, Mid-Hill Highway, Kathmandu-Nijgadh Expressway, Kathmandu-Hetauda Tunnel, North-South Highways (Koshi, Trishuli, Kaligandaki, Karnali, and Mahakali Corridors), and the Gaddachauki-Chisapani road section will be constructed as four lanes. The Khutiya-Dipayal-Chainpur-Urai Bhanjyang project will be completed quickly."

Similarly, the commitment of CPN (Maoist Centre) includes accelerating the construction of the Outer Ring Road of Kathmandu and ring roads in other major cities, ensuring paved roads reach the centers of all local levels, completing the remaining sections of the Postal Highway, and completing the preliminary work after studying the East-West Himalayan Highway.

The manifesto mentions that the construction process for the Kerung-Kathmandu, Kathmandu-Pokhara, and Kathmandu-Lumbini railway lines will be initiated, the construction of the East-West railway and Metro Rail and Monorail in Kathmandu will be accelerated, and the Nijgadh International Airport construction will be completed within five years.

CPN (Maoist Centre)'s plan includes upgrading and utilizing various currently unused airports in the country or using them for other purposes, and advancing the construction of expressways, national highways, and tunnel routes in different parts of the country. The manifesto also mentions increasing per capita electricity consumption to 750 kWh in the next five years and promoting the production and export of aromatic/fine rice, onion, oilseeds, milk, and meat in the Terai region.

RSP's Promise: Focus on Smart Grid, Energy Export, and Economic Corridors

RSP has unveiled an ambitious manifesto setting a deadline of 2087 BS, focusing on structural transformation in energy, transport, and digital infrastructure. The party has put forward the goal of establishing Nepal as an energy export center by replacing unsafe transport and weak energy networks.

RSP's electoral promise is to replace unsafe transport and energy networks by 2087 BS, making Nepal an energy export center with an installed electricity capacity of 15,000 MW and a 'Smart National Grid', and ensuring safe and fast movement by completing 30,000 km of quality highways and 10 strategic 'Signature Projects' on time. The manifesto states, "High-speed accessible internet will be expanded to every settlement, and national highways will be developed as economic corridors connecting industrial and agricultural pocket areas."

Rastriya Prajatantra Party's Declaration: Valley to be Connected to Transport Network via Metro Rail

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has declared that it will end delays, negligence, and policy corruption in development construction projects by amending the existing Public Procurement Act.

Targeting the upcoming House of Representatives election, RPP's resolution paper announces that construction will be expedited by reviewing ongoing and proposed projects based on strategic, cost-effectiveness, and access criteria, with a target for completion within three years. The RPP's resolution paper states, "Traffic jams will be ended and movement made easy and efficient through Metro, Padway, sky bridges, underpasses, overpasses, ring road expansion, and alternative means and routes. The use of smart traffic systems, parking facilities, electric buses, and trains will be encouraged. Safe, easy, and time-saving transport services will be provided by ensuring equal access in rural and urban areas." RPP has also stated that the entire valley will be connected to the transport network through Metro Rail/Padway and other means, and special arrangements will be made to keep the national strategic road network operational for 12 months.

RPP has declared that the Mahendra Highway from Mechi to Mahakali will be upgraded to international highway standards and developed and expanded based on this within three years.

Ujyalo Nepal Party Prioritizes Railway, Waterway, and Smart City

Ujyalo Nepal Party has also published its electoral commitment for the upcoming House of Representatives election. In terms of infrastructure, it has presented a plan for the next five years to construct 8,000 kilometers of paved roads, 4,000 kilometers of gravel roads, and open 3,000 kilometers of new tracks. Railway, waterway, and smart city concepts have also been prioritized.

'Manifestos Should Be Realistic Rather Than Attractive'

Infrastructure expert Gajendra Thapaliya, Chairman of the Nepal Intellectual Council and an infrastructure expert, stated that there is a tendency among political parties to make electoral manifestos attractive rather than realistic. He also noted that parties seem to believe that winning an election is difficult without ambitious plans.

According to Thapaliya, while ambitious plans are necessary for national development, special attention must be paid to their effective implementation. "It is easy to announce, but legal, administrative, and financial aspects must be strong to put it into practice," he said.

Thapaliya emphasized the need to reform legal provisions to facilitate the development process. He noted that many projects are affected due to complex legal provisions and delays.

While noting the positive aspect of continuing national pride projects, he stressed the need to maintain continuity in the national priorities set by previous governments. "However, challenges in completing projects on time are increasing because contractors are not receiving timely payments. Delays in payment risk increasing costs, slowing down work, and affecting quality," Thapaliya said. "Therefore, financial discipline and an effective monitoring system are mandatory."