KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Dr Yubraj Khatiwada has said that the government would not allow any obstruction in implementing the national pride projects despite adverse impact of COVID-19 on the economy.

Budget head change will be used if needed to ensure availability of funds for such projects. During the meeting today of National Concern Committee under the National Assembly, Finance Minister Dr Khatiwada shared the government would not allow budget scarcity on these projects through transferring of funds and fulfilling from donor agencies.

He further said that it would be easier in implementation of national pride projects if a separate law in this regard is formulated. Minister Khatiwada had presented the bill in this regard in the parliament two years ago.

The Finance Minister opined that commercial projects could be forwarded in a private-public partnership model. He pointed out the need of maintaining balance between environment and development. Similarly, Vice-Chair of National Planning Commission, Dr Pushparaj Kandel , said that construction of national pride projects has delayed and question is being raised over the quality of construction activities.

Kandel expressed the view that the government should make a concept about the deadline of the construction of Babai Irrigation Project and Ranijamara Kulariya Irrigation Project.

He further said that problem has been surfaced in course of implementing the projects for not identifying the possible problems in some projects. Likewise, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, said reconstruction of some monuments damaged by earthquake at Pashupati area is underway.

Secretary of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, Debendra Karki, Energy Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, Secretary of Water Resources and Irrigation, Rabindra Nath Shrestha, among others also expressed their views.

Committee members– Jeevan Budha, Deepa Gurung, Ram Chandra Rai, Komal Oli and Anita Devkota, among others said that construction of national pride projects should not be delayed in any pretext.