Kathmandu, March 26

The Development and Technology Committee under the Federal Parliament has directed the government to provide the necessary budget and human resources for multi-year contracted road projects, which were recently handed over by central government to provincial and local level governments.

A meeting of the committee held today has directed the Finance Ministry to provide the necessary budget and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) to provide necessary technical human resources.

It has also directed the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration for necessary coordination between the central, provincial and local governments.

As per MoPIT, over 72,000 road projects being built across the country at a cost of Rs 26 billion are in limbo as their construction has not moved ahead for the last five months due to lack of coordination between the central, provincial and local governments.

These projects are being built under the multi-year contract model.

On December 18, the Cabinet meeting had decided to hand over 72,000 road projects that were under the Department of Roads to the local governments. However, the local governments have complained that the central government only handed over the projects but not the necessary budget and human resources.

Earlier, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth, claimed that the ministry has been facing problems of late from the provincial and local governments as they have returned some of the projects that the central government had handed over to them.

Meanwhile, the committee has also directed the government to take necessary action against those government employees who are intentionally delaying and obstructing the development works.