Kathmandu, July 13: The National Planning Commission (NPC) has recommended reducing the number of National Pride Projects from the current 27 to just 10, arguing that too many projects have been declared without adequate preparation.
Presenting the proposal at a meeting of the House Finance Committee on Sunday, NPC Member Secretary Rabilal Pantha said many flagship projects have remained incomplete for years because they were launched without proper planning.
“National pride projects were declared without sufficient groundwork. As a result, it took years just to begin implementation, and too many projects were included under the category,” Pantha said. He stressed that only a limited number of truly strategic projects should receive National Pride status.
Citing the under-construction Babai Irrigation Project, Pantha also urged the government to stop expanding project scopes without proper feasibility studies.
“Project scope should be expanded only after detailed studies,” he said.
During the presentation, Pantha also called for a dedicated law to ensure a steady supply of construction materials, particularly river-based aggregates. He noted that a related bill had stalled in the previous House of Representatives and urged lawmakers to give it priority.
He further emphasised the need to harmonise laws governing public procurement, forests, and the environment to avoid delays in infrastructure development.
Pantha also suggested redesigning some project roads to reduce unnecessary bends, saying several road alignments are excessively winding and could be made more efficient.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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