The Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport has voiced strong opposition to the call for abolishing the ministry by economist and former Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Bishwonath Poudel.

"If this is the capacity of the ministry, which has the best brains and engineers in our country, then it is time to think seriously about our future. The first step is the abolition of the current Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport," Poudel wrote on Facebook a few days ago.

Poudel had previously criticized the slow pace of development projects. He pointed out that for the past two years, he had been commuting through the Gwarko overpass, which, despite its small scale, had significantly impacted public health and local businesses. He also recalled that it took six years to build the Nakkhu-Bhainsepati road. Furthermore, he questioned delays in constructing the Nagdhunga tunnel and the poor condition of road projects nationwide.

He highlighted how people suffer due to road repairs taking place everywhere while abandoned roads and dilapidated bridges remain neglected. When questioned, authorities often cite budget crunch or ministerial transfers as reasons for delays, leaving issues unresolved.

Strongly opposing Poudel’s stance, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal dismissed the debate as futile and unjustified. Expressing shock over Poudel’s statement, Dahal remarked that he was surprised such a view came from someone regarded as an expert. "He even suggested abolishing the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure. When I heard this, I was more concerned about how such individuals had been part of Nepal’s think tank," Dahal wrote.

Emphasizing that the ministry oversees more than a third of the country's development expenditure, Dahal questioned how someone who had served in a key position like the National Planning Commission could propose weakening the country’s development efforts. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport receives one of the largest budget allocations for development work but frequently cites budget shortages and other challenges as reasons for incomplete projects.

Despite Poudel’s personal opinion, a high-level government commission has already recommended merging this ministry. The Public Expenditure Review Commission, formed in August 2018 under the government led by Prime Minister KP Oli and coordinated by economist Dr. Dilliraj Khanal, proposed merging the Ministry of Urban Development with the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

Although the Ministry of Urban Development was separated a few years ago, no efforts have been made to reunite them. The commission recommended cutting at least six ministries, 35 departments, over 300 development committees, commissions, and institutions, and reducing at least 45,000 government employees across federal, provincial, and local levels. According to the commission's report, the number of ministries could be reduced to 16.

The commission also recommended transferring most responsibilities of the Ministry of Water Supply to provincial and local levels and merging it with the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation. However, this recommendation has not yet been implemented.

Additionally, the commission proposed merging various ministries: the Ministry of Youth and Sports with the Ministry of Labor; the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development with the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation, forming the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management, and Cooperatives; and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration with the Ministry of Law, creating a Personnel Management Department under the Prime Minister’s Office.

The commission recommended retaining ministries such as Finance, Home, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Forest and Environment, Health and Population, Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation under their existing structures, alongside the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Furthermore, it proposed the creation of new federal ministries, including the Ministry of Law, Justice, Federal Affairs, and Parliamentary Affairs; the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, Irrigation, and Drinking Water; the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management, and Cooperatives; the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure, Urban Development, and Transport Management; the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Security; the Ministry of Education, Communications, Science, and Technology; and the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Youth, and Sports.

Despite recommendations to abolish numerous funds, departments, divisions, and offices, implementation remains limited. While budgetary statements occasionally mention following the commission’s suggestions, the government has yet to take decisive action.

Commission Coordinator Khanal emphasized the need to eliminate redundant offices, arguing that having agencies with similar functions at federal, provincial, and local levels leads to duplication and excessive administrative costs. "If we cut expenses in unproductive sectors, we can save more than 30% of resources," he noted.

Previous attempts at reform were also ignored. Before the Khanal-led commission, the 2016 Administration Reform Implementation and Monitoring Committee Report, prepared by Kashiraj Dahal, recommended reducing the number of ministries, departments, and offices. The committee’s 2016 report suggested merging nine ministries, limiting the total number to 12, despite the constitution allowing up to 25 ministries.

The report proposed abolishing the Ministry of Land Reforms and integrating its responsibilities into the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, merging the Ministry of Urban Development with the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and abolishing the Ministries of Youth and Sports, Commerce and Supplies, Environment, Science and Technology, and Peace and Reconstruction. It also recommended establishing the Ministry of Youth, Employment, and Labor by merging relevant functions, transferring environmental responsibilities to the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, and placing science and technology under the Ministry of Education.

Furthermore, the committee suggested abolishing the Ministry of Irrigation and integrating its functions into a proposed Ministry of Water Resources and Energy. However, the Ministry of Irrigation remains operational. The Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation was deemed unjustified, and the Ministry of General Administration was also suggested for abolition. Even the parliamentary State Affairs Committee in 2017 directed the government to reduce the number of ministries to a maximum of 15, citing inefficiencies. However, 22 ministries still exist, along with multiple state ministers, imposing an unnecessary financial burden on the state.

A senior official at the Ministry of Finance stated that these recommendations remain a government priority. "Some expenditure cuts have already been made based on the Public Expenditure Review Commission’s suggestions," said an official from the Ministry's Policy and Analysis Division. However, he noted that eliminating multiple bodies simultaneously would create personnel management challenges, so closures will be gradual.

Meanwhile, economist Poudel remains firm in his call to abolish the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure. On Sunday, he reiterated his stance in another Facebook protest, criticizing the Minister for Physical Infrastructure for responding with words rather than actions. Referring to past instances of ministry mergers and separations, he wrote, "When someone suggests abolishing the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and forming a single Ministry of Roads, personal attacks won’t improve the ministry’s reputation. When people are suffering, pretending everything is fine won’t make it so."