Stakeholders univocal to construct Budhi Gandaki Hydel Project

KATHMANDU: Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office Krishna Hari Baskota has said that the new budget would allocate required amount of budget for the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project to be developed along the border side of Dhading and Gorkha districts.

Speaking at an interaction in Reporters Club today, the former finance secretary said that the government has recognized it as the project of national pride as this project would be fruitful to end loadshedding in the country and the construction cost of the project was also comparatively low.

Baskota said no project of national pride would face the budget crunch in the upcoming budget.

Secretary Baskota informed that the project would be developed soon once the French company submits its reports on feasibility study, DPR and tender. “The project will be completed within five years of beginning.”

The total capacity of the project is 615 MW.

Likewise, former minister and UML leader Gangalal Tuladhar said the project should be developed as an exemplary one in the country.

He also claimed that the project was not started due to interests of different power centers.

Likewise, Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Rameshwor Yadav said the project would address the demands and problems of the locals of the affected ares.

Similarly, Chairman of Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Proejct Development Committee Dr Laxmi Prasad Devkota said that the project should be completed at any cost. He added the proejct would be completed within eight years if the existing legal provisions were cut short.

Club’s Chairman Rishi Dhamala chaired the interaction.

On the occasion, Dhamala said the project would be a milestone to uplift livelihood of people of Dhading and Gorkha districts while the country would be free from power cuts.

He also said that the Reporters Club would leave no stone untruned to take initiative to begin the project construction.