Lack of states' capacity behind poor infra development: Mahaseth

Kathmandu, Mar. 19: Lack of capacity in the provincial governments to implement infrastructure projects has created challenges to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) in managing infrastructure development in federal structure.

Almost all provinces have asked the central government to take back the responsibility of road projects, which was transferred to them as per the spirit of the federal constitution, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth said at a programme organised to publish the annual report of the Ministry since his appointment, on Tuesday.

The process to transfer the projects from provincial governments to the federal ministry is cumbersome. Respective provincial government has to write to the concerned ministry at the centre, and then the ministry has to obtain consent from the Ministry of Finance for the fund transfer. After the process is complete, the ministry has to send the proposal to the Cabinet for approval.

"The process to transfer the projects should be simplified and capacity of the sub-national governments should be strengthened so that they can handle large infrastructure projects," said Minister Mahaseth.

About 72,000 km road has been transferred to the provinces.

However, the Minister said that the government had tried to address the policy gaps and create a favourable policy environment for the efficient development, and successfully managed many challenges.

The MoPIT has achieved 38 per cent financial progress by mid-March and projected that it will witness 60 per cent capital expenditure by mid-April.

"Our aim is to spend more budget than that allocated to the ministry. More can be done if the government provides us additional Rs. 12-15 billion," said Minister Mahaseth.

According to him, construction of 92 bridges has been completed and more than 200 bridges will be completed within the current fiscal year.

He said that bridges over the Ratu River, Marin River, Kamala River and the Bheri River were completed 18 to 12 months before their construction deadline.

About 747 km road is blacktopped last year, 1,118 km graveled and 721 km new tracks were opened in north-south connectivity projects like the Koshi Road, Kali Gandaki Corridor and Hilsa-Simikot Road.

"Similarly, a good progress has been made on the Postal Highway. Of the planned 100 km blacktop, 67 km gravel and two bridges on the highway, 69 km has been blacktopped, 140 km graveled and two bridges have been constructed so far," read the Ministry's report. The Postal Highway project has achieved 65 per cent financial progress by mid-March.

The ministry said that railway construction would be started in the 139-km Jayanagar-Bardibas-Nijgadh section in the next fiscal year and rail service would come in to operation in the completed 52-km section.

Director General of the Department of Roads (DoR) Rabindra Nath Shrestha said that Tripureshwor-Kalanki-Nagdhunga road would be blacktopped by mid-May and Chabhil-Jorpati-Sankhu road by mid-June.

On the part of transportation management sector, the government is in the final stage of policy formulation for the Transport Authority. Likewise, passenger insurance amount would be increased to Rs. 1.5 million.

The government is purchasing 300 electric buses in partnership with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, read the report.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on March 20, 2019.