Kathmandu: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has revealed that the government is actively working to advance the Budhigandaki hydropower project. A company has been established for the project’s construction, and processes are being put in place to ensure that additional taxes imposed on petroleum products are annually transferred to the project’s account.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Prime Minister Karki instructed the Energy Ministry and Finance Ministry to expedite these processes. The Prime Minister discussed the project with former representatives from the affected areas of Gorkha, including former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, and stakeholders from Dhading.
Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal and officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers were present during the discussions. The construction cost of the 1,200-MW hydropower project, initially estimated at Rs 255 billion in 2079 BS, has now risen to over Rs 400 billion. The Nepalese government has disbursed Rs 42 billion as compensation to locals for land acquisition necessary for the project.