February 29: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed all stakeholders to complete the work of national pride projects within the stipulated time.

He made such remarks in response to the progress report of the national pride projects which is not satisfactory in the first half of the current fiscal year. He told a meeting of the National Concern and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly on Wednesday that he has instructed the concerned authorities to complete the projects related road construction and irrigation which have been delayed for decades.

The prime minister asserted the upper house members that he has clearly instructed all stakeholders to complete the projects like Bheri Babai multi-purpose irrigation project, Sunkoshi Marine Diversion Project, Sikta irrigation project and road projects like Narayangadh-Butwal and North-South Corridor within the deadline.

"Implementation of national pride projects is the highest priority of the government," he said, "I have been monitoring the progress by making a schedule from the action room set up at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers."

According to the details presented by the PM during the meeting, out of 24 projects of national pride, five have made less than 10 percent progress. The number of projects with the highest progress (above 80 percent) is four. Work is underway at war footing in Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Project, said the PM.

PM Dahal said that discussions are underway on the land acquisition of Khokna, the starting point of the Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway, and initiatives are being taken to solve the problem. He also shed light on the progress about Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project and Melamchi Water Supply Project.

The half-yearly review of the current fiscal year's budget, which was released some time ago, shows that the budget allocated for those projects was not spent enthusiastically. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, Rs 15.5  billion were spent out of the budget allocated for projects of national pride. This year, the government has allocated Rs 65.64 billion for such projects.

Among the national pride projects, the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Gautam Buddha International Airport, Pokhara Regional International Airport and Melamchi Water Supply Project have been completed and are already operational. However, the dam of the Melamchi Water Supply Project is yet to be built.