Construction of Ujir Singh Stadium in Butwal Begins After Land Acquisition

Butwal. The construction work of Ujir Singh Provincial Stadium in Butwal, which was stalled due to land acquisition problems for a long time, has finally started. The Lumbini Provincial government has expedited the tender process and started the construction of the stadium after the federal government provided the necessary land.

The provincial government had been continuously allocating budget for the stadium to be built in Jabai, Ward No. 13 of Butwal Sub-Metropolis, since the fiscal year 2076/077. However, the construction process could not proceed due to the inability to acquire land connected to the forest area.

Currently, the construction of the compound wall and football ground has started at the stadium through the Lumbini Province Infrastructure Development Project.

According to Engineer Pramila Shrestha of the Lumbini Province Infrastructure Development Project, the construction work is being carried out through a multi-year contract worth 85.2 million rupees. She stated that the contract was signed with the goal of completing the football ground and compound wall construction within three years.

According to Shrestha, although the plan is to develop the stadium as a multipurpose sports infrastructure as per the detailed project report (DPR), only the compound wall and football ground construction have been contracted in the first phase. She mentioned that the physical progress is currently 8 percent and the financial progress is 10 percent.

Shrestha said that further tender processes for the construction of the cricket ground and other sports infrastructure will be expedited next year after the provincial government allocates additional budget.

Engineer Yogesh Chapagain of the Butwal Sub-Metropolis, Forest and Environment Branch, mentioned that the municipality has acquired the land for the stadium on lease and that construction work is currently underway after the contract was awarded. He informed that the process of cutting trees in some areas is also in the final stage. He stated that 155 trees within the stadium construction area need to be cut.

An amount of 1 crore 60 lakh 24 thousand rupees has been deposited by the municipality into the Forest Development Fund under the Forest Division Office, Rupandehi, for tree cutting on Baishakh 26.

According to Environmental Engineer Chapagain of Butwal Sub-Metropolis, there is a legal provision that government projects falling on forest land must manage equivalent area of land in return. He also stated that there is a rule to deposit the necessary amount in the Forest Development Fund for planting saplings on the provided land and protecting them for five years.

Currently, the contracting company is advancing the work of constructing the wall in areas without trees, while construction will proceed in areas requiring tree cutting after the process is completed.

The Lumbini Provincial Government started the stadium construction process by allocating a budget of 5 crore rupees in the fiscal year 2076/077. Since then, the provincial government has allocated 4 crore in 2077/078, 4 crore in 2078/079, 5 crore 50 lakh in 2079/080, 4 crore in 2080/081, 3 crore in 2081/082, and a similar amount in the current fiscal year.

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the stadium, which will be built on three hectares of land, was completed in 2076 BS. The Lumbini Provincial Government spent 10 lakh rupees and Butwal Sub-Metropolis spent 5 lakh rupees for this work.

Mayor of Butwal Sub-Metropolis, Khelraj Pandey, stated that the construction was delayed due to land acquisition processes and legal complexities related to land under the federal government. He mentioned that it took time due to the provision of proceeding with work through the lease process according to the latest act.

Minister of Sports of Lumbini Province, Santosh Pandey, said that the construction was delayed because it took years to complete the land acquisition process through the Ministry of Forests. Stating that construction is now underway after land acquisition, he informed that a decision has been made to entrust the construction to the Province Infrastructure Authority by ensuring the source of funds. He claimed that there will be no budget shortage now and no problems will arise in the construction work in collaboration with Butwal Sub-Metropolis.

Mayor of Butwal Sub-Metropolis, Khelraj Pandey, stated that the construction was delayed due to land acquisition processes and legal complexities related to land under the federal government. He mentioned that it took time due to the provision of proceeding with work through the lease process according to the latest act.

He pointed out that projects intended to be operated by provincial and local governments on land under the federal government are facing delays.

Jayalal Bhattarai, a resident of Butwal and former member secretary of the Lumbini Province Sports Council, mentioned that the Ujir Singh Stadium has been used as a local cricket playing ground since before. He expressed the expectation that the stadium construction will greatly contribute to producing players in sports like football and cricket.

According to Bhattarai, players from Butwal, Bhairahawa, Saina-Maina, and the number four area of Kapilvastu can use this stadium for practice. The stadium is designed with four entrances and a capacity for 12,000 to 20,000 spectators in the stands on all sides.

The plan is to construct structures such as a cricket ground, athletics track, volleyball, basketball, tennis court, and swimming pool in the stadium, which will primarily feature a football ground.