Kathmandu, May 18: Members of the Committee on Development, Economic Affairs and Good Governance in the National Assembly (NA) have highlighted the necessity for effective infrastructure development and budget execution.
During the meeting, the committee chairman, Krishna Prasad Poudel, stated that it is essential to ensure the effective implementation of the infrastructure plan. He underscored the importance of adopting a results-oriented approach in executing the scheme.
Ghanashyam Rijal pointed out that various shortcomings have been observed in budget execution, capital expenditure, and planning management in the past, particularly emphasizing the need to enhance capital expenditure.
Samjhana Devkota stressed that special attention must be given to construction quality and road safety, advocating for a plan to integrate settlements in rural areas. MP Kamala Pant remarked that construction workers face challenges in completing infrastructure development projects on schedule due to delays in payment.
Bhuwan Bahadur Sunuwar expressed concerns about the difficulty in obtaining the plans requested by the MPs and insisted that the implementation of the BudhiGandaki Hydropower Project should commence promptly.
Likewise, Sabitri Malla urged the government to allocate sufficient budget for the improvement of the Karnali Highway.
Gopal Prasad Sigdel, Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, stated that the programme for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 BS has been advanced by prioritizing the construction of integrated urban infrastructure in cities and settlement centers where economic activities are expected to grow.
Secretary Sigdel reported that the enhancement of local roads and community accessibility, the Suspension Bridge Regional Programme, the development of alternative auxiliary highways, local center link road development, and road safety and maintenance programmes have been established as primary priorities for the coming year.
According to him, an estimated Rs 14.7 billion is required for the local-level road and community access improvement programme, Rs 4.06 billion for the Suspension Bridge Regional Programme, and Rs 21.35 billion for the alternative auxiliary highway development program.
Secretary Sigdel announced that a ‘township development programme’ has been proposed with the objective of enhancing the primary market and settlement centers of 460 villages over the next five years.
He mentioned that resource management will be implemented in various settlements of at least 58 villages in the near future.
“The Medium Urban Development Programme will be executed for the comprehensive development of the essential infrastructure in the 293 municipalities that have yet to receive significant investments,” he added.
The ministry indicated that approximately Rs 100 billion in additional resources will be necessary for the programme, with Rs 11.81 billion required for the initial year. The programme was informed that the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee has plans to enhance the physical and natural environment of Bagmati and its tributaries.
Secretary Sigdel stated that a programme has been initiated through the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority to safeguard public land, improve roadways, and aid in the creation of a dust-free city.
Similarly, the Ministry has stated that the reconstruction programmes being carried out through the offices under the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction and the Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office are targeted to be completed within the next two years.
In the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 BS (2026/2027) budget, road safety and landslide control work have been given high priority to ensure safe traffic on national highways.
Secretary Sigdel informed the committee in the upper house of the Federal Parliament that a highway widening programme has been proposed from the perspective of road safety. According to him, the necessary budget has been allocated for road maintenance, and the budget has been proposed to ensure that national pride projects are completed on time.
He stated that the construction of national highways and bridges will be prioritised through the Department of Roads, adding, “It has been proposed that the construction of other local roads and bridges will be carried out through the Local Infrastructure Development Department.”
Similarly, Secretary Bishwababu Pudasaini said in the meeting that the WASH has been prioritised. According to him, preparations are underway to implement an integrated programme in coordination with the federal, provincial and local levels, with the goal of ensuring clean drinking water and basic sanitation facilities for all citizens by 2087 BS.
Large and incomplete drinking water projects will be completed quickly, and the government’s policies and programmes for the next fiscal year include the development of deep boring and ground water systems to provide arsenic-free drinking water in the Tarai-Madhesh region.
He also stated that the sewerage management system will be improved to maintain the cleanliness of rivers and drains, and a water testing laboratory will be established for a regular testing system developed to increase public confidence in the quality of drinking water.
Similarly, he said that to mitigate the impacts of climate change, priorities will be given to groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting, reservoir-based projects, and the conservation of water springs. The government plans to brand Nepali water through the ‘Himalayan Origin Certified Water’ concept.
Secretary (Water Resources) of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Sarita Dawadi, has stated that the current government’s goal is to develop Nepal as an energy export hub. She informed that, according to the Energy Development Roadmap 2081, a target has been set to produce 35,000 megawatts of electricity within the next 10 years. She emphasised that special focus should be given to the construction and expansion of transmission lines to achieve this goal.
Secretary Dawadi stressed on the need to prepare a clear roadmap for the restructuring of the Nepal Electricity Authority and stated that the Electricity Bill should be drafted. She also stressed that the renewable energy and energy efficiency bills should be approved promptly. According to her, a clear division of roles and powers is necessary among the Investment Board, the Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Electricity Production Company Limited for large projects above 200 megawatts.
She mentioned that the roles and autonomy between those bodies are not clearly defined at present.
Secretary Dawadi also suggested that arrangements should be made for the multi-year procurement of consulting services with an estimated cost of less than Rs 200 million under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to be approved by the accounting officer.
