Kathmandu, October 8 The Nepali Congress has opposed the government’s decision to award Budhi Gandaki hydel project to Gezhouba Group Company of China. The NC issued a press release stating that a study committee formed by the erstwhile NC-led government had decided to develop Budhi Gandaki hydel project with domestic investment and billions of rupees had already been raised through the then government’s initiative. The main opposition party termed the government’s decision to suddenly award the project to the Chinese company ‘opaque, surprising and objectionable’. “There are established procedures for awarding a project, but the way the government suddenly decided to award the project to a foreign company without following the established process or through competition is an anti-national step,” the NC stated. The party stated that the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) government’s decision awarding the   project to the Chinese company had  cast doubt on the fate of the project. “The NC demands that the project be built with domestic investment as recommended by the study committee,” the party   stated in its release. It issued the release after holding its Central Working Committee meeting last night. The party also opposed the government’s plan to fell lakhs of trees in Nijgadh to build the second international airport.  The party also urged the government to reach a conclusion on the modality of constructing the airport only after holding discussions with stakeholders. It also opposed the Far-west Province’s decision to announce Godavari Municipality in Kailali district as its provincial headquarters. The NC alleged that the land mafia influenced the decision. The NC claimed that the naming of headquarters would affect not only development projects in the area, but also lead to degradation of forests and environmental problems, such as floods, landslides and desertification of lower land areas. It also claimed that the government had not been able to maintain peace or control inflation. “It is regrettable that even after two-and-a-half months, the government has failed to bring the perpetrators of Nirmala Panta’s rape and murder to book. This shows the government is insensitive about the issue and incapable of conducting investigation,” the NC added. The party stated that unprecedented rise in the number of rape and murder cases was worrying. “Crime has risen due to indifference of the government that has failed to maintain law and order,” it added.