August 19: The government has failed to construct even the basic facilities for new industrial estates even five years after starting the project.

The government had announced plans to build the industrial estates in 2015. It has already initiated the work but the construction has been delayed inordinately.

The government since starting the expansion of industrial estates five years ago has been able to finish only preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR), land purchase and compensation distribution, as well as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the sites in Damak of Jhapa, Mayurdhap of Makwanpur, Shaktikhor of Chitwan, Motipur of Rupandehi, Naubasta of Banke and Daichi of Kanchanpur.

Despite the lackluster progress, government officials inform that necessary infrastructures are being built in the industrial areas.

 Nanda Kishore Basnet, chairman of the Industrial District Management Limited, informed that the foundation stones at all the proposed industrial areas have been laid in the current fiscal year.

However, he added that it would take the government additional two years to complete the construction of basic infrastructures such as roads, electricity, water and fencing.

Balaju Industrial Estate was established for the first time in Nepal about 58 years ago. Since then, the government has established 10 industrial estates across the country. The last of them was set up more than 34 years ago.

It has taken decades for the government to set up new industrial estates.