The Sudurpaschim Province government has allocated more than Rs 900 million in its fiscal year 2026/27 budget for development work covering Badimalika, Khaptad National Park and hospital upgrades, with the budget presented by Minister for Economic Affairs Chakra Bahadur Malla. The allocations include Rs 32.5 million for a feasibility study on operating a cable car in Badimalika and Rs 61 million for infrastructure development in Khaptad National Park. The provincial government says the funds are intended to support tourism infrastructure in the two areas, alongside improvements to health facilities.
Funding for Badimalika and Khaptad
The proposed Badimalika cable car study is among the specific allocations announced in the budget. The Rs 32.5 million is designated for assessing the feasibility of operating a cable car, rather than for construction of a cable car itself. The budget announcement therefore sets out funding for a study of the proposed service, while identifying no construction allocation in the details provided.
A separate Rs 61 million has been allocated for infrastructure development in Khaptad National Park. Together, the two named tourism-related allocations amount to Rs 93.5 million. The government has described its broader spending for Badimalika and Khaptad as aimed at developing tourism infrastructure, but the announcement does not specify individual projects to be funded through the Khaptad allocation or provide a breakdown of the wider budget total.
The distinction between the two allocations is notable: Badimalika's funding is directed to a feasibility study, while the Khaptad amount is designated for infrastructure development. Both are included in the province's 2026/27 budget, presented by Malla as part of the government's planned spending for the coming fiscal year.
Tourism and public services in the budget
The more-than-Rs 900 million package also covers hospital upgrades. The budget announcement, as reported, does not give a separate amount for the hospital work, nor does it identify the facilities or describe the upgrades. It therefore combines tourism-related spending for Badimalika and Khaptad with health-sector investment, rather than assigning the entire reported sum exclusively to tourism.
For Badimalika, the next step supported by the stated allocation is a study of whether a cable car can be operated. The budget does not announce that the service will be built or set out a construction timetable. The Rs 61 million for Khaptad, by contrast, is described as funding for infrastructure development within the national park, without further details on the work planned.
The allocations place two tourism destinations within the province's development plans for 2026/27 while also including spending on hospital upgrades. The stated aim for the Badimalika and Khaptad funding is tourism infrastructure development. The specific amounts disclosed for the two destinations provide a breakdown of part of the budget, while the overall allocation remains above Rs 900 million.
Key allocations announced
- Badimalika: Rs 32.5 million for a feasibility study on operating a cable car.
- Khaptad National Park: Rs 61 million for infrastructure development.
- Hospital upgrades: Included in the broader allocation, with no separate amount stated in the details provided.
The budget was presented by Economic Affairs Minister Chakra Bahadur Malla for the fiscal year 2026/27. The announcements set out the province's funding intentions for the coming year, including a study at Badimalika, infrastructure investment in Khaptad and upgrades to hospitals.
