Nepal’s national pride projects continue to face delays despite years of construction and billions of rupees in public spending. According to the National Planning Commission, these projects have recorded average annual physical progress of just 2.96%. Only three projects have been completed: Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Pokhara International Airport and Gautam Buddha International Airport.
Several major projects remain far from completion. The Babai Irrigation Project has achieved 82% progress after spending Rs 18.21 billion, while the Sikta Irrigation Project has reached 51% after an expenditure of Rs 24.33 billion. The East-West Electric Railway has recorded only 3.6% progress, with its revised estimated cost reaching Rs 1.017 trillion.
The Budhigandaki Hydropower Project has received around Rs 42 billion in spending, but physical progress stands at only 16.55%. Delays have been attributed to land acquisition problems, inadequate funding, contract management issues, technical difficulties and poor coordination among government agencies.
Former National Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Prakash Kumar Shrestha said these projects had not received the special treatment their national importance demanded. He called for stronger monitoring, adequate budget allocations and accountability to ensure timely completion.
