Dahal wants DPR ready by this month

Kathmandu, June 18

Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Mahesh Prasad Dahal today instructed the ND Engineering Consultancy to submit the Detailed Project Report of the Pokhara Stadium by the end of this month.

After watching the presentation of the DPR at his office, Dahal asked the ND Engineering Consultancy to sit with the engineers of the ministry and the All Nepal Football Association before finalising the report. “We want to construct a modern mini stadium in Pokhara and I found a couple of lapses in the DPR,” said Dahal. “I want the final DPR by the end of this month so that we can invite tender for the construction of the stadium,” he added.

Dahal also asked the National Sports Council to be serious about the construction of sports infrastructure. “It is the responsibility of the NSC to look after the infrastructure. The NSC needs to concentrate on them with high priority,” he said.

“We have not been able to demolish Dasharath Stadium let alone the reconstruction of the lone sports facility of the capital. We need to prepare infrastructure by February next year, otherwise we might lose the hosting rights of the 13th South Asian Games,” Dahal said.

The government had given the responsibility of preparing the DPR of the Pokhara Stadium to ND Engineering Consultancy with the target of constructing the international-standard stadium in Pokhara. As per the preliminary report, the stadium will have a capacity of 25,000 spectators and flood lights. The size of the pitch is 102.5 metres in length and 65 metres in width, while the facility will also have 10-lane athletics tracks.

ANFA General Secretary Dhirendra Pradhan said the DPR was not up to the mark as per the FIFA guidelines. “The DPR does not incorporate certain specifications of the FIFA and that needs to be changed,” said Pradhan. “Above all, the size of the ground is small and the changing room of the players is also not as per the specifications,” said Pradhan.

NSC vice-president Lama Tendi Sherpa urged the consultancy to use modern technology while finalising the DPR. “We need to find out the best materials for the stadium and the government is also ready to invest in the project,” said Lama.