Such dismal performance on the large-scale projects, which were said to lay down base for country to embark on higher growth trajectory, was disclosed when ministers and secretaries from ministries excuting those projects reported their output to the National Development Problems Resolution Committee that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai chaired on Wednesday.[break]
Concered officials attributed their failure to adhere to the target to prolonged dispute in land acquisition in projects like Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track and Mid-Hills Highway. They also blamed persistent scarcity of petroleum products - basic fuel in civil works - for their failure.
"Inadequate budget, frequent bandas, prolonged shortage of petroleum products and dispute in acquisition of land mainly slowed impelmentation of the development projects during the second trimester," said Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management (MoPPWTM).
Sitaula also said shortage of technical human resources is also remained an impediment for the effective progress in the implementation of projects. According to Sitaula, the MoPPWTM is currently operating with technical staffs that were recruited as per the vacancies created more than a decade ago, when it implemented only a few large-scale projects.
"We have not revised the vacancies, and hence suffer from a severe dearth of required technical work force. This has hampered our performance," said Sitaula.
National pride projects suffered the most in the run up to the end of second trimester as they were moved up the priority without allocating sufficient budget.
The government had set a target to spend around Rs 20 billion for the 11 projects of national pride during the current budget, inclduing Rs 1.75 billion for Mid-Hill Highway, Rs one billion for East-West Electrical Railway, Rs 3 billion for Melamchi Drinking Water Project and Rs 1.2 billion for Kathmandu-Tarai Fast track.
However, Melamchi Drinking Water Project, Mid Hill Highway Project, Kathmandu Tarai Fast track and North-South Highway recorded the worst performances during the first eight months of 2011/12.
Sources said progress of Melamchi Drinking Water Project during the period remained at mere 35 percent of the target. Progress of Mid-Hill Highway and Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track was recorded at 60 percent each of their respective targets. Likewise, performance of North-South Highways was recorded at just 35 percent and the progress on acquisition of land for the proposed East-West Electrical Railway was recorded at 80 percent.
Keeping in view the deepening problem in land acquisition and subsequent slow progress in national projects, the meeting has decided to form a committee led by Dinesh Hari Adhikari, secretary at the Ministry of Land Reform, to assess the problems in land acquisition and forward suggestions to the government within the three months.
PM Bhattarai directed the concerned ministers and secretaries to select the projects that were viable for implementation and seek ways to ensure smooth land acquisition.
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