SURKHET: The Karnali Provincial International Stadium, designated as the Karnali Province government’s flagship ‘Provincial Pride Project,’ located in Birendranagar, has languished in construction for three years.

Initially budgeted at Rs 1.594 billion, the facility was mandated for completion by April 23, 2024, under the agreement with the MAC-GSL Joint Venture signed on November 13, 2021. Although a six-month extension was subsequently granted, more than one year has elapsed since the final deadline, yet the stadium has not been handed over to the government.

Engineer Prakash Baduwal, a representative of the construction company MAC-GSL Joint Venture, states that 99 percent of the stadium work is complete and that it can be handed over at any time. According to him, the handover has been stalled not because of the company, but because of the provincial government itself.

Baduwal attributes the delay to an administrative flaw, asserting, “The crucial Member Secretary position for the Provincial Sports Development Council became vacant precisely at the time of handover, generating a procedural ambiguity over the designated recipient.”

Baduwal further adds that currently, only tasks such as installing glass in the volleyball hall of the stadium, pitching about five meters of road at the main gates, and installing the lifts remain. He says, “Items like glass and lifts quickly deteriorate if not regularly maintained and operated; we have only temporarily halted the work because there is a risk to the company if the handover does not happen immediately after we finish construction.”

The position of Member Secretary of the Provincial Sports Development Council in Karnali has been vacant since December 21, 2024.

This project was initiated with the goal of hosting the Tenth National Games at this very stadium from November 17 to 24, 2024. However, the date for the National Games has been postponed three times due to the stadium not being completed on time.

Former Member Secretary of the Provincial Sports Development Council, Bishwamitra Sanjyal, says the provincial government has failed to utilize even the completed structures. Sanjyal says, “The stadium construction was expedited because of the opportunity to host the National Games then, but the main goal was to mobilize sports in the province,” adding, “The National Sports Council Act was conceptualized accordingly, but it is unclear where things are stuck.”

The National Sports Council meeting on November 5 this year set a new date for the competition from February 13 to 19, 2026. For this, the federal government has even allocated an additional budget of Rs 630 million.

Most recently, the National Sports Council meeting on November 5 this year set a new date for the competition from February 13 to 19, 2026. For this, the federal government has even allocated an additional budget of Rs 630 million. However, judging by the provincial government’s pace, it is not certain that the competition will be held at this stadium this time either.

Political stalemate over the Member Secretary post

The main reason for the national competition delays and the non-utilization of the stadium is the vacant leadership of the Provincial Sports Development Council. The provincial ruling coalition partners, CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress, are responsible for this.

The provincial government first appointed officials to the Sports Development Council on December 21, 2020. The tenure of the Member Secretary and other officials of the Karnali Province Sports Development Council expired on December 21, 2024. Five months later, on June 1, 2025, the Cabinet gave the responsibility of Member Secretary to Jawahar Lal Hamal, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development, until further notice. That appointment was later revoked after a writ petition was filed in the High Court claiming it violated the National Sports Development Council Act.

The position of Member Secretary of the Provincial Sports Development Council in Karnali has been vacant since December 21, 2024.

Volleyball coach Sudhir Shah says that all sports activities have been halted during this period due to the tug-of-war between the CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress over who gets the Member Secretary position. He says, “They have been talking about hosting the National Games in Karnali since the beginning, but even regular sports activities are not taking place.”

Jiwan Bahadur Shahi, leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party and former chief minister, does not accept this accusation. He says the lack of clear service and facility provisions for the Member Secretary in the Act itself is the problem. Shahi says that discussion over political appointments within the ruling coalition is not unnatural, adding, “First, the due process must be completed; this matter is not stalled because of not getting a share of power.”

Shahi says he has been proposing to the government to advance the appointment process since the Sports Development Council became vacant. He says, “Since the departmental minister is from the Nepali Congress, as the party leader, I told him to advance the legal process quickly. I believe he is moving forward on this matter by bringing an ordinance since the Parliament is not currently in session.”

Before construction began, a volleyball tournament took place at the Provincial Stadium site. Photo: Sushil Khadka

Former Minister of Social Development and CPN (UML) Provincial Assembly Whip, Tek Raj Pachhai, also says that the discussions among the parties regarding the Member Secretary appointment should not be termed as power-sharing. He says, “The Chief Minister (CPN (UML) parliamentary party leader) has already directed the departmental minister to appoint a qualified person.”

Ghanshyam Bhandari, the Minister of Social Development from the Nepali Congress, says the process of introducing an ordinance related to the Sports Council is ongoing. He states that the draft ordinance concerning the Karnali Province Sports Development Council, prepared by the Ministry, has been sent to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Law for fundamental approval. He says, “Once the ordinance is approved by the Cabinet, the path will open either to appoint a Member Secretary or to give the charge temporarily to an expert employee.”

Minister Bhandari says the ordinance includes a provision for an alternative arrangement when the post is vacant, along with service and facility provisions for the Member Secretary. He says, “Previously too, the service and facility provisions were provided through an ordinance one and a half years after the Member Secretary was appointed.”

Karnali Provincial International Stadium was initiated with the goal of hosting the Tenth National Games at this very stadium from November 17 to 24, 2024.

Following widespread criticism that the National Games were halted due to the absence of a Member Secretary, the Ministry of Social Development opened applications for the appointment of a Member Secretary as per the Provincial Sports Development Act on Tuesday. However, there is still confusion over whether the appointment or the ordinance will be implemented first. Minister of Social Development Bhandari claims that the work on the appointment and the ordinance will proceed simultaneously.

Idle capital and unproductive investment

Since the establishment of the Karnali Province government, sports activities and infrastructure have been included in the budget speech every year. In the fiscal year 2017/18 budget, Rs 12 million was allocated to construct and implement one sports field in each provincial constituency.

In the fiscal year 2018/19, at least Rs 150 million was allocated to start the construction of a provincial stadium in Birendranagar, the provincial capital, and to begin construction along with studies for multi-purpose sports stadiums in the hilly and high-Himalayan regions.

In the budget statement for the fiscal year 2019/20, at least Rs 117.5 million was allocated for provincial stadiums, Himalayan stadiums, training center establishment, stadium construction in Rukum Paschim’s Chaurjahari and Kalikot’s Raskot, construction of stadiums and sports fields in partnership with local units, and feasibility studies for cricket stadiums and covered halls to advance construction work. In the fiscal year 2020/21, at least Rs 156 million was allocated under the youth mobilization and sports development heading, including plans for preparation for the National Games, training of players, and advancing programs for stadiums, covered halls, and sports fields in all districts.

In the fiscal year 2021/22, at least Rs 590 million was allocated for the Karnali Provincial Stadium, a regional stadium in Chaurjahari, sports infrastructure in districts, and preparation for the Tenth National Games, among other plans.

Under-construction sports ground in Chisapani, Birendranagar-5, Surkhet. Photo courtesy: Sushil Khadka

In the fiscal year 2022/23, at least Rs 600 million was allocated for the provincial stadium construction, and in the fiscal year 2023/24, at least Rs 850 million was allocated to complete the provincial stadium work. In the fiscal year 2024/25, at least Rs 200 million was allocated to construct a stadium in Rukum Paschim’s Chaurjahari. In the current fiscal year 2025/26, at least Rs 180 million has been allocated for physical structure construction and sports infrastructure development to host all games of the Tenth National Games within the province itself.

Since the establishment of the province, the Karnali Province government has allocated Rs 2.855 billion in the budgets of nine fiscal years for sports and sports infrastructure. However, the provincial government does not have an integrated breakdown of how much of this was for infrastructure and how much was for sports activities. According to rough estimates, nearly Rs 2 billion has been spent on sports infrastructure alone.

The sports infrastructure to be built within the province with this budget includes 28 projects, such as the provincial stadium, new construction, upgrading, maintenance, and infrastructure additions. Among these, 16 infrastructures, including the stadium, are in Surkhet alone. Besides that, there are two in Dolpa, one each in Humla, Jumla, Jajarkot, and Mugu, and three each in Kalikot and Rukum Paschim.

Pitambar Dhakal, former Dean of Mid-West University, believes that the billions invested in the sports sector for Karnali Province have not been fruitful.

Dhakal further adds, citing a lack of progress in institutional development areas such as producing players, ensuring their employment, and regular training, “The government seems to have failed to map and evaluate its priorities. Investing continuously without guaranteeing institutional development, sustainability of infrastructure, and utilization plans is just a misuse of government funds.”