Chief Minister of Gandaki Province, Surendra Raj Pandey, has stated that initiatives are underway to move forward with the construction process of the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project.

At the golden jubilee inauguration program of Jageshwar Secondary School, held on Friday at Mahadevtar, Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality–8 in Gorkha, he emphasized that the work on the project, which had previously been halted for various reasons, must be immediately moved forward.

Chief Minister Pandey stated that the project, to be built on the border of Gorkha and Dhading, is important to continue because it will not only contribute to the development of the hydropower sector but also help improve the income and livelihoods of people in the affected areas.

He informed that preparations are underway for a joint meeting of the Gandaki and Bagmati provincial governments in the Budhi Gandaki corridor area of Gorkha and Dhading, with the aim of pressuring the central government to complete the project promptly.

“Discussions are underway to hold a meeting of both provincial governments in the corridor area, also including representatives of the local governments from the project area. The project must be completed as quickly as possible by any means,” said Chief Minister Pandey.

Stating that repeated efforts had been made to remove the uncertainty surrounding the project’s construction, he clarified that those efforts had not yet been translated into concrete outcomes. Chief Minister Pandey remarked that a prosperous Nepal can be built only with a positive mindset, and that the country cannot be developed merely by creating a narrative that nothing has been achieved.

“There is an attempt to create a narrative that everyone is cheating, everyone is looting, and everyone is engaging in corruption,” said Chief Minister Pandey. “At present, no one is making an effort to understand the reality; a country cannot be built on negative thinking and emotions alone.”

He stated that a prosperous Nepal can be built only through the collective efforts of everyone.