Kathmandu, Dec. 3
Prime Minister Sushila
Karki has said that the government is working to expedite the Budhigandaki
Hydropower Project.
According to her, a
company has already been established for the construction of the project, and
the necessary processes will be advanced to ensure that the revenue collected
from the additional tax imposed on petroleum products is deposited into the
project’s account every year.
To accelerate the
related procedures, she also instructed the Ministries of Energy and Finance.
On Wednesday, Prime
Minister Karki held discussions on the matter with former PM Dr. Baburam
Bhattarai, some former people's representatives from the affected areas of
Gorkha and Dhading districts, and local stakeholders.
During the meeting,
former PM Bhattarai expressed his satisfaction with the government’s enthusiasm
for taking the Budhigandaki Project forward. He suggested that the project
should not be limited solely to electricity generation, but should be developed
as a multipurpose project by forming a separate authority.
Finance Minister
Rameshore Prasad Khanal and other officials from the Prime Minister’s Office also
participated in the discussions.
The cost of the
1,200-megawatt hydropower project was estimated at Rs. 255 billion in 2022
which is estimated to exceed Rs. 400 billion now.
The government has
already acquired the land required for the project and paid Rs. 42 billion in
compensation to local landowners. It is estimated that it will take at least
eight years to complete the construction of this project, which lies between
major load areas such as Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 4 December 2025.
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