Construction of Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium Faces Delays

Chitwan. The construction of the Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium has been delayed. With only eight months remaining until the contract deadline, the project, located in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-15, Rampur, is only 50 percent complete.

In Ashar 2081 BS, Bharatpur Metropolitan City awarded the contract to Himalayan Kalinchowk BBR JV with a 30-month completion timeline. The contract, worth a total of 755,091,189 rupees, is scheduled to be completed by 22 Poush 2083 BS.

According to Divisional Engineer Santosh Acharya of the Metropolitan City, the work on one tower is nearly finished, while the second floor of the second tower has been cast. Of the four parapets, one is complete, two have been cast, and work on the final one has commenced.

Field construction has begun, with preparations underway to build five pitches. Simultaneously, work on access roads, the field, and pitch construction is progressing. Underground power cabling and plumbing work are also ongoing. The Bagmati Province government is expected to cover 70 percent of the total contract amount. For the fiscal year 2081/82, the federal government allocated 250 million rupees and Bharatpur Metropolitan City allocated 48 million rupees to advance the project. The Metropolitan City has allocated 40 million rupees for the current fiscal year.

Acting Mayor of the Metropolitan City, Chitrasen Adhikari, stated that they are urging the construction company to expedite the work and finish on time. He said, “There are no issues on our end. We have instructed the construction company to accelerate the work.” He also mentioned that they are requesting the necessary budget for the stadium's construction from the federal and provincial governments. 

After the Dhurmus-Suntali Foundation was unable to complete the stadium, it was handed over to the Metropolitan City. Since then, the Metropolitan City has been moving the work forward in collaboration with the provincial and federal governments.