KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary and lawmaker Bishwa Prakash Sharma has emphasized the need to resolve uncertainties surrounding the Budhi Gandaki Multipurpose Hydropower Project and other national projects that should not face budget shortages or operational ambiguities.
Speaking during Sunday’s House of Representatives session on the Appropriation Bill 2081 and the discussion on various ministry allocations, Sharma stressed the government’s need to clarify who will undertake the Budhi Gandaki project, how it will be executed, and when.
“We previously decided to hand over the project to a foreign company but then retracted that decision. Finding concessional loans for this project would be beneficial, but we should avoid taking on expensive foreign loans that could entrap us in debt,” he stated.
He mentioned that compensation distribution for the project is nearly complete and that the government has received a report on the project’s framework.
Sharma urged the government to make timely decisions on the project’s structure.
Suggesting that a government-diaspora-private (GDP) sector model could be a suitable option, Sharma insisted that citing budget constraints or crises as an excuse to delay the project is unacceptable.
He called for adopting best practices from other countries to confront challenges and develop the nation.
The NC General Secretary also proposed developing the area around the project into a tourist destination named ‘Nepalese Falls.’
He expressed confidence that both the ruling and opposition parties would come together to advance this project.
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