Dec 20, Kathmandu- Dhurmus Suntali Foundation has withdrawn from the construction work of Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium under construction. The Foundation has formally requested the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation to take ownership of the cricket stadium.

According to the foundation, the ownership of the stadium is about to be transferred as mentioned in the agreement with the corporation after the required funds could not be raised for the construction of the stadium. The Foundation has requested to take ownership as mentioned in the MoU as the construction work has been halted for the past five months due to a complicated and difficult situation to raising financial resources due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

In a letter to the metropolis, the foundation said, "As mentioned in point 8 of the memorandum of understanding between the foundation and the Bharatpur metropolis, the construction of the stadium has been hampered due to lack of financial resources due to special circumstances due to the global epidemic COVID-19."

The agreement stipulates that ownership can be transferred during construction if special circumstances arise. It has been stated that the owner will be handed over to the corporation after completing the construction under normal circumstances. Metropolitan Chief Renu Dahal said that the foundation had requested for the transfer of ownership saying that it was difficult to complete the construction due to COVID-19.

She said that the necessary process has been taken forward after the decision was taken from the executive meeting of the corporation. In this regard, the work has been taken forward in consultation with Youth and Sports Minister Maheshwar Jung Gahatraj, Dahal said. The foundation withdrew after the metropolis asked the foundation to move ahead with the work or transfer ownership as per the agreement.

According to him, the details submitted by the foundation in the metropolis are being investigated by the government and the process is being taken forward to pay the dues by sending it to the Council of Ministers through the ministry. Dahal informed that the metropolis has requested the federal government to move ahead with the work by inviting bids under the multi-year plan for the remaining works. "We are ready to act according to the decision of the cabinet," she said. As Bharatpur is an important project of the metropolis, Dahal said that he is committed to completing it by giving continuity.

The corporation has made the land available for the stadium in coordination with Tribhuvan and the University of Agriculture and Forest Sciences. Although led by the foundation, the corporation has a direct role to play in raising most of the financial support. "The stadium is complete," she said. It is mentioned in the letter that the foundation has requested the metropolis to repay the loan of more than Rs. 170 million.

Rambandhu Subedi, chief administrative officer of the metropolis, has decided to send the intensive urban and building construction project to Bharatpur to study the financial and technical aspects of the report submitted by the foundation. Similarly, Nepal is being sent to the Institute of Chartered Accountants for financial studies. Preparations have been made to send it to the cabinet meeting through the Ministry of Sports after an investigation by both bodies. Subedi said that the construction work of the stadium would be completed by completing the necessary process as per the policy of the Government of Nepal.

The stadium has not been constructed for the past five months due to a lack of funds. The work has been stopped saying that the financial burden of borrowing is increasing and the financial collection has not been possible. The chairman of the foundation Sitaram Kattel had been saying that the work had to be stopped after going through an extreme financial crisis.

The foundation has claimed that 35 percent of the physical infrastructure of the stadium has been completed. The foundation had earlier claimed that Rs. 546.21 million has been spent on the stadium so far. It is estimated that around Rs. 3 billion will be spent to complete the stadium. The work of the stadium was started on 30 January 2019 AD in Kathmandu in the presence of the then Prime Minister and former Prime Minister by signing a special agreement with Bharatpur Metropolitan City.