BHARATPUR: Construction of the Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium in Bharatpur-15, Rampur, is falling behind schedule, with only 48 to 50 percent of the project completed and just six months remaining until the contract deadline.

The Bharatpur Metropolitan City had signed a contract worth over Rs 750.50 million with Himalayan Kalinchowk-BBR JV in July 2024, with a completion deadline set for January 6, 2027.

While one spectator tower and one parapet are complete, work on the second tower, remaining parapets, and the ground’s five cricket pitches is currently underway alongside utility and road infrastructure.

To keep the project moving, the metropolis has allocated Rs 140 million for the upcoming fiscal year and is coordinating with the Bagmati Provincial Government, though the federal government failed to allocate funds for the project this fiscal year.

The mega-project was originally initiated by the Dhurmus-Suntali Foundation but was later handed over to the Bharatpur Metropolitan City due to financial and managerial constraints.

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