KATHMANDU, Feb. 7 -- Former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission and economist Dr Bishwo Paudel has urged the government to abolish the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

Linking his proposal to the recent termination of the USAID program in the US, Paudel wrote on his official Facebook account, "After seeing the US abolish USAID, I believe Nepal should also eliminate an institution. The energy sector has made progress, but roads remain underdeveloped.

This situation must not continue. The first step is to dissolve the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport."

Paudel also proposed an alternative approach. "Let's place expressways, tunnels, and Kathmandu's much-needed metro system directly under th...