KATHMANDU, JULY 14
Both the cost and completion time of projects run under the national pride projects have increased, finds the report released by the Office of the Auditor General yesterday.
Starting construction activities without preparing a detailed project report, lack of coordination, lack of construction capacity, and weak monitoring and assessment are the major reasons behind increase in time and cost of national pride projects.
As per the report, cost and time of 10 of the 24 national pride projects have increased.
It says the physical progress in Railway and Metro Development Project, whose construction started in the fiscal year 2009-10, is nil though Rs 24.47 billion has been spent on the project.
The project has to be completed within fiscal year 2021-22. The government estimates that Rs 555.22 billion will be spent for the construction of the project.
The physical progress in constructing the Karnali corridor, another national pride project, is only 28 per cent.
More than Rs 11.30 billion has been spent on the project so far. It started in fiscal year 2008-09 and has to be completed by the fiscal year 2022-23.
The construction of the Koshi corridor started in fiscal year 2008-09. It has recorded only 24 per cent physical progress. A total of Rs 30.58 billion has been spent so far on the project, which has to be completed by fiscal year 2023-24.
The report adds that progress in projects such as Mahakali irrigation project, North-South Kaligandaki project, Budhigandaki hydropower project, Sunkoshi Marin Diversion project, President Chure Tarai-Madhes Conservation Development, and Kathmandu Tarai-Madhes fast track is slow.
The physical progress in the construction of Mid-Hill highway is 57.84 per cent.
The project started in 2007- 08 and has to be completed by 2022-23. Out of Rs 84.33 billion allocated by the government for the project, Rs 53.34 billion has been spent so far.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 15, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
