HETAUDA: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has directed to speed up the works at under-construction Kulekhani Hydropower Project-III to complete the project within July 30 next year.

During the inspection of one of the National Pride Projects (NPP), Kulekhani Hydropower Project-III in Bhainse VDC of Makawanpur district on Saturday, PM Dahal cited extravagance, delay and opacity faced by the project and directed the project chief Subash Kumar Mishra to complete the project on time in anyway. In response, Mishra briefed PM that the Chinese contractor didn't come to inspect the site and further blamed the contractor for the delay in completion of the project.

Regarding this, Dahal said that the government would hold talks with Chinese officials about the delay.

Meanwhile, the CPN Maoist Centre Chairman Dahal assured that the government would reward the staff of NPP liable for the timely completion.

As government was planning to produce 10,000 megawatt (MW) power within the next 10 years, Dahal also said that the incumbent government was serious to solve any problem to this regard.

The construction of the hydro project which started in the fiscal year 2006-2007 has not completed yet, even after extending its deadline for five times. Although the construction was estimated to be worth around Rs 2.5 billion, the expenditure now approximates Rs 4.63 billion, the project chief said.