Gagan Thapa unveils five-point infrastructure roadmap, pledges governance overhaul

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has introduced a five-point roadmap aimed at removing long-standing bottlenecks in Nepal’s infrastructure development, pledging a fundamental shift in governance style to accelerate project delivery and restore investor confidence.

In a video message released on Monday via social media, Thapa outlined the Congress party’s development vision in the run-up to the House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21. He said chronic delays in major national projects stem not only from weak political will but also from legal complexity, slow decision-making, and poor coordination among multiple state agencies.

“We have many plans, but the system that moves work forward is weak,” Thapa said, arguing that structural reform—not just budget allocation—is necessary to ensure timely completion of roads, energy projects, irrigation systems, and urban infrastructure.

1. Legal Reform and Simplification

Thapa’s first proposal focuses on reviewing and streamlining infrastructure-related laws. He said overlapping legal provisions, lengthy approval procedures, and frequent litigation have caused projects to remain stalled for years. A Congress-led government, he claimed, would introduce legal amendments to simplify regulatory processes and reduce procedural delays.

2. Single-Window Decision System

The second pillar calls for a one-door decision-making mechanism for infrastructure projects. Currently, developers must seek approvals from multiple ministries, departments, and agencies, increasing both time and cost.

Thapa said an integrated decision structure would be established to fast-track clearances and boost investor confidence, particularly in large-scale infrastructure and public–private partnership (PPP) projects.

3. Strengthening Implementation Capacity

Thapa acknowledged that weak technical manpower, project management, and monitoring systems have led to underutilized budgets and unfinished works.

His third proposal includes assigning clear responsibility to project chiefs, setting strict timelines, and linking performance evaluations to measurable results. He said this would institutionalize accountability within the execution chain.

4. Federal Coordination Framework

The fourth point addresses coordination among federal, provincial, and local governments. Thapa argued that ambiguity in authority distribution under the federal structure has created confusion in project ownership and implementation.

He proposed common standards and a new cooperation framework to align roles across tiers of government.
“Federalism is not an obstacle to development; with coordination, it can accelerate progress,” he said.

5. Transparency and Accountability Measures

The fifth component centers on transparency in public procurement and project selection. Thapa said controversies and corruption allegations in contract awards have slowed development and eroded public trust.

He pledged to institutionalize digital tracking of projects, mandatory disclosure of public information, and citizen monitoring mechanisms.

Thapa’s roadmap positions infrastructure governance reform as a core election agenda for the Nepali Congress, framing systemic inefficiency—rather than funding alone—as the primary constraint on Nepal’s development trajectory.