Kathmandu, November 8
It has been a few years since the government announced an ambitious project of developing four smart cities in four corners of the Kathmandu valley. The government spent these years to prepare detailed project plans for them.
Now, the plans are ready, and the government is preparing to begin actual construction works within this fiscal year. But, interestingly, the amount it has allocated for the project looks peanuts in comparison to its estimated budget.
The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority says the total cost for the development of all the cities exceeds Rs 350 billion. However, the government has allocated just Rs 250 million for the first year of construction.
The authority’s commissioner Bhai Kaji Tiwari says Rs 10 million has been allocated to Ishan to be built in the northeastern corner of the valley. Aagneya in the southeastern corner, Naihritya in the southwestern corner, and Uttar in the northern corner will get Rs five million each.
Despite the limited budget, Tiwari says the authority will begin construction works as soon as the cabinet approves detailed project reports for each of them.
Local people’s representatives, however, think the government will face challenges galore in implementing the project as members of the public are not ready to join the land integration plan.
