Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday defended the ongoing construction of the Kirtipur Cricket Stadium, pushing back against what he called “unwarranted criticism” over minor delays in the project.
Speaking in Parliament in response to lawmakers’ concerns, Oli said the stadium was nearing completion and attributed the delays to procedural and environmental hurdles. “The stadium is being built; it’s close to completion. But instead of being happy, people complain about a delay of two days,” he remarked.
Oli explained that although the government had initially set a 300-day completion target to fast-track the project, construction only began in late December due to procurement issues and land ownership disputes. Monsoon-related disruptions further pushed back the timeline.
“It took five months just to get the work started, and then the monsoon added more challenges. Some delay was inevitable,” he said.
He also criticized what he described as a tendency to overlook progress and focus on minor setbacks. “Sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt to appreciate the work that’s being done. A little positivity in our mindset could help,” he added.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to development, Oli said infrastructure projects across the country were progressing despite bureaucratic hurdles and negativity from some quarters.