The locals pushed for the early implementation of the project during their meeting with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Saturday. On the occasion, they expressed concerns over government´s reluctance in calling bid for the feasibility study. [break]
“We expressed our concerns with the prime minister and urged him to take immediate action to speed up the work of the project,” said Ram Chandra Poudel, a local who was also present at the meeting with PM.
Responding to the locals, PM Bhattarai said the project was very important for the socio-economic development of the country and the government was committed to executing the project.
“We have already included it among the national-pride projects. We will soon take necessary steps to develop it,” Poudel quoted PM as saying at the meeting.
Budi Gandaki is one of the mega hydropower projects of the country which was identified almost 30 years ago in 1983. But the government had not taken any initiatives for developing the project as construction as well as resettlement and rehabilitation of people living in 23 VDCs in Gorkha and Dhading required a huge fund.
Nonetheless, Budi Gandaki had received applications from 24 firms for conducting feasibility study of the project.
"Of them, we have shortlisted six companies, inlcuding firms from the US, Germany, Italy, France and Australia for carrying out the task," said Lila Nath Bhattarai, director of the project.
The project office has already forwarded the list of short-listed firms to the government, requesting it to select one of them for the task.“"We hope the government will soon take a decision,” he added.
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