Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport and Urban Development Kulman Ghising has said the government will not keep the contracts of two national pride projects - the Sunkoshi Marin and Bheri Babai Multipurpose Projects - in their current form.

Speaking at a meeting at the Energy Ministry on Tuesday with ministry officials, irrigation department heads, project chiefs, consultants and contractors, Ghising stressed that terminating the existing contracts and moving forward afresh is the only option.

The minister convened the meeting after what he described as “unnatural delays” in the construction of both projects. He noted that the setbacks have deprived the nation of crucial benefits expected from the schemes, which aim to supply irrigation water to the Tarai and boost agricultural productivity.

“One side is busy blaming the other, while contractors are only looking for loopholes. How can construction progress in such a situation? The state has already invested billions of rupees, and if we calculate the interest alone, the losses run into billions more. Where did the financial analysis done at the beginning go? What happened to the projected returns?” he warned.

Ghising said the tunnels for both projects have already been completed but the dams, powerhouses, and other major structures remain unfinished, leaving the projects stranded. “The Tarai and Madhes face a severe water shortage for irrigation. In such a situation, these projects cannot remain stuck as they are. If the contractors had been committed, the work would have been finished. Instead, there is no intention to deliver. So, extending deadlines makes no sense. Let’s cancel the contracts and move ahead,” he added.

The Bheri Babai tunnel was completed in September 2020. A contract for its dam and powerhouse construction was signed in July 2019 with China-based Guangdong Yutian–Raman JV, but the project’s overall progress has reached only 57 percent.

Similarly, construction of the Sunkoshi Marin project’s dam, powerhouse, and related structures has seen just 10 percent progress, even though nearly 60 percent of the contract period has already elapsed. The contractor for this project is Patel–Raman JV.