Defense Minister Man Bahadur Rai has expressed doubts that the Kathmandu–Terai/Madhesh Expressway will be completed within the target year of 2083 BS, despite the government’s focus on the national pride project.

Speaking at a meeting of the Federalism Strengthening and National Concern Committee on Thursday at Singha Durbar, Minister Rai said that while Nepal is building an international-standard highway, challenges such as land acquisition and forest clearance have made the work “very difficult.” He noted that in other countries land is owned by the government, but in Nepal private ownership often causes delays.

“I cannot say with certainty that it won’t be finished by 2083, but it is very challenging. However, it will not drag on as long as the Melamchi project,” Rai said. He also pointed out that forest-related legal hurdles had to be resolved at the Cabinet level, and that overcoming them had even led to political accusations in the past.

In the same meeting, Chief of Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sigdel reaffirmed the Nepal Army’s commitment to completing the project on time. “Our responsibility is to finish by the end of Chaitra 2083, and we are committed to that. About 43% of the work is done, and the remaining portions are faster to build,” he said.

General Sigdel added that much of the initial time was consumed by environmental impact assessments and tender processes, but that the pace would now accelerate. He emphasized that local resistance in Khokana would be minimal if guarantees were made that other projects would not enter the area, given its cultural and religious significance.

The 72.5-kilometer expressway is a high-priority infrastructure project aimed at reducing travel time between Kathmandu and the southern plains to less than an hour.