Irrigation Department chief and Sunkoshi Marin project director taken to PM’s Office amid new contract process

Kathmandu, October 31, 2026 — The Director General of the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation and the project director of the Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project were taken into police control on Thursday and handed over to the Prime Minister’s Office as the project prepared to open financial bids for a new construction contract.

Director General Dinesh Rajauria and Project Director Krishna Prasad Rijal were taken into custody by police on Thursday. Rajauria was picked up from Siraha and Rijal from Sindhuli before both were brought to Kathmandu.

However, police did not keep them in custody at a police station. Instead, they were handed over to the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar, according to police sources.

“We acted after receiving an order to bring them in. They are not in our custody now; we handed them over to the Prime Minister’s Office,” a police source said.

The two officials were reportedly taken into control in connection with issues surrounding the project’s contract process. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the formal reason for their detention or the allegations against them.

The Department of Water Resources and Irrigation had previously terminated the construction contract for the project and initiated a process to award a new one. The contract with Patel-Raman JV was terminated in Kartik last year, during the tenure of Kulman Ghising as energy minister in the then interim government.