KATHMANDU, Feb 7: Former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission and economist Dr Bishwo Paudel has urged the government to abolish the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.
Linking his proposal to the recent termination of the USAID program in the US, Paudel wrote on his official Facebook account, “After seeing the US abolish USAID, I believe Nepal should also eliminate an institution. The energy sector has made progress, but roads remain underdeveloped.
This situation must not continue. The first step is to dissolve the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.”
Paudel also proposed an alternative approach. “Let’s place expressways, tunnels, and Kathmandu’s much-needed metro system directly under the Prime Minister’s Office. A dedicated team should oversee these projects, bringing in experienced administrators and project managers through international bidding. Mega projects worth billions need capable managers. Whether Nepali or foreign, we must hire skilled engineers and project managers,” he said.
He further recommended dissolving offices related to waterways, maritime transport, and railways. Additionally, he suggested transferring strategic road projects, alternative highways, and similar programs to the provinces while assigning smaller projects to local governments.
Paudel called for creating a streamlined Ministry of Roads. “Let’s evaluate all current project heads and assign the most competent ones to complete major road corridors—including north-south routes (Koshi, Karnali, Gandaki, Bheri, Seti, Mechi, and Mahakali) and east-west highways (Postal, Mahendra, BP, Pushpa Lal, and Himalayan Highways)—within five years,” he stated.
He urged the government to review all contracts issued by the existing ministry and cancel non-essential projects that do not align with the five-year plan. “We must dismiss project heads who fail to deliver on time, just as cricket teams replace underperforming coaches,” he added. “Spending billions every year without building significant roads is a national failure.”
Paudel also criticized bureaucratic inefficiencies, pointing out that despite sufficient funds, the government has failed to allocate money for BP Highway maintenance. “Officials who delay projects by hiding behind procedural excuses while refusing to find solutions must go. These bureaucrats mislead politicians,” he concluded.