Lack of sufficient budget allocations has prevented Nepal’s National Pride Projects from achieving expected results, admitted Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal.
Speaking at a recent meeting of the National Concerns and Coordination Committee under the National Assembly, Minister Dahal stressed the need for a separate budget dedicated to National Pride Projects.
“The ministry’s focus should be on large, complex, and productive projects of national importance rather than scattered minor works outside our core mandate,” he said. “We are forced to divert funds to smaller projects recommended by lawmakers and various leaders instead of major national schemes. This has reduced the budget for National Pride Projects. Moving forward, we must align and allocate resources exclusively for these projects and other nationally significant initiatives.”
The minister added that while some projects are facing chronic delays, the ministry has identified site-specific problems and is gradually working on solutions. He also informed the committee about the ongoing study to address challenges facing the East–West Electric Railway project and explore alternative approaches.
“The East–West Railway is our dream and a key connectivity link with Asia. We must make it operational,” Dahal said. “But we have been stuck for four to five years due to land acquisition problems. We have neither been able to provide compensation nor move the project forward.”
Transport Secretary Keshav Kumar Sharma highlighted the need for adequate budget allocations and greater ownership among all three tiers of government. He said the lack of clarity over road rights-of-way has led to repeated local-level obstructions during construction.
The meeting discussed the implementation progress, current status, challenges, and solutions related to National Pride Projects under the ministry. Officials emphasized the importance of defining clear responsibilities among federal, provincial, and local governments and adopting a straightforward land acquisition policy.
Sharma also noted that because the responsibilities for provincial highways and local roads are still unclear, the ministry has been implementing smaller projects beyond national highways, which has created complications and resource management issues.
Director General of the Department of Roads Dr. Bijay Jaisi said the department wants to focus exclusively on 80 national highways. He warned that roads built by provincial and local governments are increasing risks to the highway network.
Director General of the Railway Department Rabindralal Das raised concerns over compensation for public land, the supply of river-based construction materials, and other issues affecting railway projects.
Committee members, including Uday Bahadur Bohara, Indira Devi Gautam, Kiran Babu Shrestha, Gopi Bahadur Sarki Achhami, Manrupa Sharma, Mohammad Khalid, and Narayan Dutta Mishra, urged continuous coordination among government agencies to ensure the timely completion of projects. -- RSS
