State governments have started big projects that reflect the pride of the state. But the progress of the project, which was made for pride, is not proud. There is a problem of not working on announced projects and lack of budget. The state of progress of projects in Sudurpaschim and Lumbini reflects the status of state pride projects.

Slow progress in the far west

Leaders have established a practice of focusing the budget on piecemeal schemes centered on close workers and consumer committees. Due to insufficient budget and delay of the construction companies, the projects of state pride in the Far West have not been completed on time .

9 road projects have been placed under the state pride project. According to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, the length of roads in Gaurav province is 948 km. Of which only 196 km have been contracted. Only 669.5 million has been spent till 080/81 on the project of state pride, which has a total cost of 37 billion 127.4 million . One billion 43 crores have been allocated in the current financial year. This year's expenditure has not been updated according to the ministry.

The Infrastructure Development Office of the respective district is dividing into different sections and implementing it through contract agreements. But although most of the projects have expired, the work and plans are incomplete.

Gaurav's projects include Khaptad-Martadi road with a total length of 65 km in Bajura, Satbanjh-Sribhavar-Hat-Darchula with a total length of 90 km in Baitadi and Darchula, Kailali with a total length of 230 km, Chisapani-Rishidah-Badimalika to connect Achham Bajura, Kanchanpur Dadeldhura and Bajhang with a length of 115 km. Daiji-Pokhara-Dhungad-Bajhang, 93 km long plan has Khalanga Khar Dethala Paribagar Khandeshwari road.

Similarly, the Deepal-Saipal road with a length of 95 km and a cost of 6.11 billion 25 million, and the Sahajpur-Bogtan-Depayal road with a length of 180 km and a cost of 4.12 billion, the Belauri-Kaluvapur-Nile-Buder road with a length of 47 km and a cost of 1.49 billion and a 60-kilometer length and a cost of 1.45 billion with an estimate of Bhajani-Chhoti Bhansar-Khemdi-Thuligad road project. Sudurpaschim province government decided in 076 and started implementation from 077 .

Under the Satbajh-Sribhavar road, the Sribhavar-Hat section, which was contracted in 078/79, should have been completed in the last financial year. So far, the construction company has done only 70 percent of the work for the black sheet construction in the section which is 5 and a half kilometers long. Due to the lack of budget and the delay of the contractor, it will not be completed even in the current financial year . Infrastructure Development Office Baitadi has informed that 113.5 million has been paid so far for the 204.2 million 53 thousand contract agreement with Jagdamba Builders Pvt Ltd.

A contract of 13 crore 77 lakh 68 thousand was awarded to Cab Gwalek JV in 076/077 to complete 8 km of black road in Sribhavar-Haat section of the same road by the end of June 080. According to the construction company, 80 percent of the work has been done so far and only 77.6 percent of the amount has been paid, the office said.

Similarly, there is a similar situation in the contract awarded in 079/80 to cover 14 km of Satbajh-Sribhawar road and upgrade 20 km. There is 15 percent progress in the black paper work, which will expire in the coming March. According to the office, only 12 percent of the 482 crore 82 lakh 82 thousand contract agreement has been paid for that work.

Dethala-Khar-Khalanga road is being constructed by making two sections. The office has said that 57.75 million 79 thousand in Baitadi and 20.2 million in Darchula are required for the road project of the province Gaurav . But the state government allocated only 25 crores to Baitadi and 16 crores to Darchula in the current financial year, said Dhirendra Bhatt, chief engineer of the office.

In Dadeldhura, 6 contracts have been awarded under the state pride project Daiji-Jogbuda-Saloon-Chirakatte-Pokhara-Dhungad road . Two of the contracted contracts have expired in March. Another contract will expire next June, two contracts will expire in August and another one will expire in June. The Ministry has allocated 230 million for these contracts in the current financial year. But Chief Engineer of Dadeldhura Infrastructure Development Office Navraj Rawal said that the budget of 53 million 16 thousand is insufficient.

079/080 contract agreement for 65 crore 78 lakh 37 thousand Sajpur-Bogtan-Dipayal road project is expiring in June 083 . So far only work worth 35 million 14 lakh 51 thousand has been done . Engineer Rawal said that 21 crores have been allocated for the project in the current financial year.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, Surat Bahadur Bam, admitted that there is a problem every year in allocating the expected budget to projects of state pride due to the practice of keeping piecemeal projects. "Our desire is to complete the project as soon as possible by allocating more budget," he said, "we will try to increase it a little in the upcoming budget." According to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, the total number of plans in the current financial year is more than 16 thousand. But due to the lack of sufficient budget in the state pride projects that have been running for six years, none of the projects have been completed. Technicians say that the cost of the project is also increasing as the construction period increases.

Lumbini Pradesh pride projects stalled due to lack of budget

Lumbini province has launched four big projects as province pride projects . However, although the work of two of the four projects is fast, the other two projects are at a slow pace. Since the financial shortage is increasing, the government has not been able to select more prestigious projects for the last five years. The biggest project of pride in Lumbini is the building of Lumbini Provincial Hospital . The building, whose construction has started at a cost of 6 billion 187 million rupees, has achieved 19 percent physical and 16 percent financial progress since August of the current year. Indian construction company Capasite, Ashish, Religer Venture is working jointly with Nepali company Ashish Religer. Infrastructure Development Authority had signed an agreement in December 2080 to complete the construction by December 2085. The construction company started the work by laying the foundation stone in August 2081.

Finance Minister Vishnu Paudel and Chief Minister Chetnarayan Acharya jointly laid the foundation stone of the building. An amount of 1.80 billion was allocated in the current year for this scheme, which is being built by the state government from its own resources. Executive Director of the Authority, Engineer Chhabiraj Pokharel, said that 1.64 billion has been paid by February of the current year and the remaining amount is also in the process of payment.

is another proud project of the state - the government office being built in Deukhuri, the state capital. At a cost of 3 billion 90 million, the construction of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers office and 9 other buildings is also going on at a fast pace in Deukhuri, the capital of Lumbini province, giving a glimpse of the 'Singh Durbar' of Kathmandu. Chief Minister's office is 6 floors and for other ministries, buildings with modern facilities are being built on 5th.

The cost of construction of the building was estimated at 4 billion 21 million . However, the construction company Sharma Sagun JV started the construction in December 2079 with an agreement of 3.9 billion excluding VAT. There is an agreement to complete the construction of the building in December 2082. If there is no shortage of funds, Ishwarraj Joshi, head of the project implementation unit, said that the work is being done to complete the construction before the contract deadline.

"Until now, 70 percent physical progress and 50 percent financial progress have been made," he said, "if there is no shortage of budget, we are trying to operate the buildings of two ministries within the current year."

The road is 290 km from Rampur in Palpa to Jinawang in Rolpa under the third pride project of the state government. It is a plan that has been started to connect the hill districts of Lumbini province and to develop the tourist destination "Hillstation" by connecting the settlements in the higher part of the mountain. This road will connect to Kapurkot in Salyan via Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Rukum. It was the government's goal to complete the first phase of this road project in 2081 and the second phase in 2085. However, due to lack of budget, only 55 percent physical progress has been made on an average by the end of December, Govindra Prasad Khanal, Acting Chief Engineer of Transport Infrastructure Development Directorate said. "Since there is not enough budget, we are working in sections," he said, "that's why the progress seems to be low." He said that work is being done in some districts.

_{Another proud project that is working at a slower pace than under the state plan is the Lumbini Technical University . All four projects of state pride are programs included in the government's policy and program for the year 2076/077. However, after all of them, the university plan was implemented . Two and a half years ago, the then Chief Minister Kul Prasad KC laid the foundation stone of the university at Khajura in Banke. However, no work has progressed as the land has not been acquired yet. Physical progress is nil . The university has been teaching students by renting the building.}

The Khajura rural municipality had expressed a commitment to give 96 bighas of land for the establishment of the university. According to that, although the recommendation committee coordinated by the Chief District Officer recommended the transfer of rights 3 years ago, the physical progress of the university has been seen to be zero since the federal government did not proceed with the process of providing the land. Vice-Chancellor Professor Vinod Dhakal said that the land acquisition file has been sent to the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation for three years but still the land has not been acquired. "Even though it is certain that the land will come under the university, the processes are still pending", he said, "it may take some time for that." He said that now the classes are being conducted by renting the land of Nepalgunj Agricultural Development Bank. The aim was to produce skilled manpower by teaching engineering, agriculture, forestry, information technology and tourism in the university. Now since last year B.Tech in IT and B.Tech in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence are being studied towards Information Technology . He said that the study of B.Tech in Civil and B.Tech in IT Engineering has also started this year. The university has 158 students and 28 employees. Social Development Minister of Lumbini Janmjay Timilsina said that although the university was opened according to the state's pride project and technical education needs, the physical infrastructure construction work did not proceed due to the lack of land acquisition. "The board of the university has been placed in Khajura in Banke," he said, "Teaching is in the Forest Division office at Surkhet Road in Nepalganj and the office is in the building of the Agricultural Development Bank."