22 Dhankuta projects in limbo

DHANKUTA: Different multi-year projects that have been running for years in Dhankuta district are facing hardships in the recent times for lack of budget.

Stakeholders have complained that the situation emerged after the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction did not release the budget as expected.

As many as 22 projects — run under the Development for Peace Programme of the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction — are left in incomplete state for lack of budget, the District Technical Office, Dhankuta said.

The projects that are run under five-year terms were estimated to spend Rs 800,000 to Rs 3 million within three years of project operation, however they are in limbo, chief of the office Prakash Chaudhary said.

Under the programme, 12 schools, six community buildings, three parks and a temple were expected to be constructed.

A total budget of Rs 7.9 million was released till the last fiscal year but budget was not allocated in the current fiscal year, leaving the projects incomplete, according to Chaudhary.

However, Chief of the District Coordination Committee, Dhankuta, Tanka Bahadur Chuwan said that the responsibility of the uncomplete projects had come to the local level as the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction has been merged in the federal setup.