Lawmakers Criticize Delays and Cost Overruns in National Pride Projects

Kathmandu. In a meeting of the Finance Committee of the Federal Parliament held on Monday, lawmakers expressed serious concern over the government's lack of attention to the delays, rising costs, and weak monitoring in the implementation of national pride projects.

In the meeting, lawmakers raised questions about the current status of the Upper Tamakoshi and Budhi Gandaki hydropower projects, pointing fingers at the role, working style, and lack of legal clarity of the National Planning Commission.

Speaking at the meeting, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Jagdish Kharel stated that the technical aspects and monitoring of national pride projects are extremely weak. Citing the example of Upper Tamakoshi, he noted that while the initial estimated cost was 36 billion rupees, it has now reached 90 billion rupees, and the construction work is still not complete. He raised questions about the effectiveness of monitoring, given that production capacity shrinks to 80 megawatts during the dry season.

He said, 'I know a 36 billion project, and even after 90 billion has been invested today, the project is not complete. Where was the monitoring when 36 billion reached 90? That is everyone's question today.' Kharel added that with only 10 percent progress in 13 years on the Budhi Gandaki project, the government's claim of completing the remaining 90 percent work in the next five years is unrealistic.

RSP lawmaker Sushil Khadka pointed out the need for restructuring the existing structure of the National Planning Commission. He suggested that a separate legal provision and an empowered body should be established for the effective implementation of national pride projects. He demanded an end to the tendency of shirking responsibility, stating that projects get stalled due to a lack of coordination between ministries and the Planning Commission.

Lawmaker Sushant Baidya commented that the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) is limited to mere formality, comparing it to the 'cat-tying' tendency. He said, 'First, the budget is made, and then its justification is proven for three years by filling it in the medium-term expenditure framework.'

RSP lawmaker Bikram Khanal stated that capital expenditure remains low due to a lack of coordination between the five-year plan and the annual budget, demanding a restructuring to empower the commission. Similarly, lawmaker Dr. Taraprasad Joshi expressed disappointment that despite 20-25 years having passed, the progress of pride projects is only 25 percent, suggesting that projects should not only be seen as physical infrastructure construction but also linked to productive sectors.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Khadga Bahadur Buda complained that the Planning Commission has not prioritized reconstruction in Jajarkot even after two and a half years since the earthquake, and that files related to the multi-year source assurance for government building construction have been returned. RSP lawmaker Nitima Karki Bhandari questioned the lack of priority given to the agriculture sector in national pride projects. She emphasized the need to include the organic areas of Karnali and Sudurpaschim and Nepali cardamom (Black Diamond), which has high demand in the global market, in pride projects for branding and promotion.

Congress lawmaker Narendra Kumar Kerung demanded that the payment process be made faster and easier, as complaints are heard about construction entrepreneurs not receiving timely payments after the completion of construction work. He also drew attention to the fact that the tendency of 'Ashare Bikas' (development in the last month of the fiscal year) and server disruptions at the end of the fiscal year affect revenue collection. In the meeting, lawmakers also demanded that strategic projects such as the Tamor Reservoir Hydropower Project and the extraction of petroleum products in Dailekh be prioritized.