Fast Track Project works satisfactory: Minister Upreti

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 4: Minister for Defence Hari Prasad Upreti Friday said that the Ministry and he himself were satisfied with the progress made in  the construction of the  Kathmandu-Madhes Terai Fast Track Project (Expressway).

He made this remark during his first visit to the Army Headquarters after his appointment as Defence Minister.

Minister Upreti said that he was satisfied when he saw the progress being made. A week ago, Minister Upreti had prepared a field visit of the Fast Track Project. 

It was informed on the occasion that the physical infrastructure progress of the project is 13.6 per cent and the financial progress is 12.93 per cent.

During the visit, Minister Upreti took official information about the Nepali Army, according to the Directorate of Public Relations and Information. 

On the occasion, Minister Upreti was apprised of the organisational structures of the Nepali Army, deployment, various activities conducted by the Nepali Army in the domestic and international fields, said Brigadier General and Spokesperson for the Nepali Army Krishna Bhandari. 

The Defence Minister said that the Nepali Army is the centre of trust in fulfilling the constitutional obligations and the additional obligations entrusted by the government over time. 

Mentioning the contributions of the Nepali Army to international peacekeeping works, Minister Upreti said that although it is currently the second largest country to provide troops to the United Nations, the Nepali Army has always been at the forefront of taking risks and showing courage for world peace, and he was very happy about it. 

The Defence Minister said that the Nepali Army, which has been with the Nepali people at the time of every crisis, has been contributing to building road infrastructures in the remote areas. 

During the programme, Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Prabhu Ram Sharma congratulated the newly appointed Defence Minister and welcomed him to the Army Headquarters on behalf of the entire ranks of the Nepalis Army. 

CoAS Sharma mentioned that the Nepali Army is the best organisation of the nation and it has been fulfilling the responsibilities received in a lawful manner with dedication for the benefit of the country and the people. 

He said that it was necessary to enhance the overall capacity of the Nepali Army to address, solve and mitigate the challenges created by the changing international, regional and national environments and expressed his gratitude for the support received from the government, and the Ministry of Defence.

Speaking on the occasion, Defence Secretary Kiran Raj Sharma stated that the Ministry of Defence and the government should put special emphasis on developing the Nepali Army's overall capabilities including disaster management skills and making the Nepali Army self-reliant.