The main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) has raised objection to the government’s decision to award the construction of Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project to Chinese company Gezhouba Group.

A meeting of the party Central Working Committee (CWC) in Kathmandu on Sunday concluded that the hydropower project could be constructed with domestic investment and demanded the government do the same.

“A study team formed by the former NC-led government had said the hydropower project could be built with domestic investment,” read the NC decision. The NC said the government’s decision to award the project contract to Gezhouba Group is “non-transparent, surprising, and objectionable” at a time when billions of rupees have been collected from the people for investment in the project.

The Nepali Congress has said the sudden decision to award the contract without competitive bidding was against national interests. “There are established procedures to be followed before awarding any project. But is it is against the national interests to award the contract, which could be built with domestic investment, to a foreign company without following due procedure,” he said.

Ten months after the erstwhile NC government's decision to scrap the contract awarded to China's Gezhouba Group, the government last month (in September) decided to rehire the Chinese company for the construction of 1,200 MW national pride project.

The opposition party has appealed to the general public to become aware of the “conspiracy to make the project uncertain” because of the government’s immature decision.

In a different context, the NC has expressed dissatisfaction over the proposal to cut down more trees than necessary for the construction of International Airport in Nijgadh, Bara. The party has urged the government to hold a serious national debate on the modality of the project, investment guarantee, and make it free from controversy so as to provide necessary momentum to complete the project on time.

The NC has dubbed the decision to declare Godawari of Kailali district as the capital of Far-West Province was immature and anti-development, citing that the location lacks necessary infrastructure and is not suitable from the environmental perspective. “The decision is irresponsible and influenced by land mafia,” the NC said in its decision.

The party has also decided to submit memorandum through district administration and draw the attention of the federal government towards exorbitant rises in prices of essential commodities ahead of festive season. The NC said it was sad the government failed to book the perpetrators involved in the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Pant even after one-and-a-half-month after the incident.

“The government has proved its incompetence and failure to understand the seriousness of the issue. It is a matter of concern that the incidents of similar nature have been happening across the country,” the NC has stated in its decision. The party said the crime has been growing across the country due to government’s failure to maintain law and order.

Saying there were massive irregularities in the purchase of the wide-body planes for Nepal Airlines Corporation, the NC has urged the concerned bodies to conduct a thorough investigation of the deal.