PM Karki directs officials to pursue alternative alignment for Kathmandu–Terai Fast Track

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has instructed officials to move ahead with an alternative plan for the Kathmandu–Terai/Madhesh Fast Track, putting the long-running Khokana dispute on hold in a bid to prevent further delays in the national pride project.

The directive was issued during a high-level meeting held Tuesday at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers after concerns were raised by local communities in Khokana, Lalitpur, that the project’s starting point could affect religious heritage sites, traditional settlements, and cultural practices.

The Prime Minister said that while disputes should ideally be resolved through dialogue, development projects of national importance should not remain stalled indefinitely due to unresolved local issues. She stressed that the government must seek workable alternatives and ensure progress on the strategic infrastructure project.

Start point may be shifted to avoid prolonged dispute

According to officials present at the meeting, the Prime Minister suggested revising the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and relocating the project’s starting point if consensus cannot be reached in Khokana.

“If the dispute cannot be resolved quickly, we must move forward through an alternative alignment. Development projects cannot remain trapped in uncertainty,” she said, directing authorities to identify feasible options and accelerate implementation.

She also instructed that the expressway should be brought into operation in phases wherever construction is completed, instead of waiting for the entire project to finish.

High-level officials brief PM on progress

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Rameshwar Khanal, Law Minister Anil Kumar Sinha, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Madhav Chaulagain, National Planning Commission Vice-Chair Prakash Kumar Shrestha, Chief of Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel, along with secretaries of relevant ministries and project officials.

Representatives of the Nepali Army, which is responsible for implementing the project, briefed the Prime Minister on construction progress, technical challenges, budgetary concerns, and expectations from the government.

The Prime Minister warned officials against unnecessary delays in development works and instructed all agencies to coordinate closely to remove bottlenecks affecting implementation.

DPR revision to include new toll plaza location

Following the directive, officials said the DPR will be amended to shift the toll plaza to Farsidol, about 3.3 kilometres below Khokana, indicating that the practical starting section of the expressway may now begin from that area.

The Kathmandu–Terai Fast Track is considered one of Nepal’s most strategic road infrastructure projects, aimed at reducing travel time between Kathmandu and the southern plains, lowering transport costs, boosting trade logistics, and improving connectivity between the capital and major industrial corridors.

Officials say prolonged delays in such large-scale infrastructure projects increase financial burden, cost escalation, and opportunity losses, making timely execution critical for national economic growth and regional connectivity.