National Pride Projects fail to make tangible progress owing to sluggish budget expenditure

KATHMANDU: Expenditure of major national pride projects has been sluggish, in fact less than one percent, in the first half of the current fiscal year.

The physical progress of Budhigandaki project, Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track and Millennium Challenge Account Nepal, which are regarded as game changing projects of the country, is dismal.

As per the Financial Comptroller General’s Office, Budhigandaki project has managed to spend merely Rs 136.9 million so far out of Rs Rs 7.44 billion budget allocated for the project in the current fiscal year.

Similarly, the progress of Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track is also sluggish. The government had allocated budget of Rs 8.81 billion for the project this year. However, the project so far has managed to spend only Rs 253 million.

Likewise, performance of the Millennium Challenge Account Nepal is also poor. The government had allocated Rs 8.5 billion for the project this year but the project has managed to spend only 0.22% of it.

Physical progress of other major projects like the Bheri Babai Diversion Project, Babai Irrigation Project, Melamchi Water Supply Project and Sikta Irrigation Project, among others is also sluggish.