Valley
Fast track construction by Nepal was my idea: PM Dahal
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has claimed that the idea of Nepal constructing the Kathmandu-Nijgadh Fast Track on its own was in fact floated by him when he was the chairman of a high-level coordination committee during the previous government’s tenure.Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has claimed that the idea of Nepal constructing the Kathmandu-Nijgadh Fast Track on its own was in fact floated by him when he was the chairman of a high-level coordination committee during the previous government’s tenure.
During his meeting with a delegation of Rastriya Sarokar Abhiyan Nepal on Monday, PM Dahal said
that he had never thought about allowing any foreign company to construct the fast track and that rumours against him were being spread to defame him.
The previous KP Sharma Oli-led government’s announcement that Nepal would build the fast track on its own instead of giving it to any foreign company to build had become a major talking point. It had also stoked a debate with some hailing the announcement and others claiming that it would be too difficult for Nepal to handle such a big project.
While delivering his final speech in Parliament as the prime minister, Oli too had asked the new Maoist Centre-Nepali Congress alliance that he was “keen to see how the new government “will take the project forward”.
On Monday, PM Dahal also told the delegation that he was looking forward to receiving suggestions on policy and technical issues of national interest from related specialists and experts before his scheduled India visit. Dahal is embarking on a visit to India from September 15.
Holding high-level meetings with experts may not be possible but suggestions from them will surely be taken before the visit, Dahal told the delegation.
The delegation members included Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri, Hari Pandit, Gopal Siwakoti, Dwarika Lal Dhungel, Ratna Sansar Shrestha, Lok Bahadur Rawat, Bharat Bahadur Shahi and Mangal Biswokarma.